Open Hearts
by MyImmortal329
Summary: AU. When Carol's daughter gets married and moves out, she's feeling a little uncertain of what to do with herself. But when she meets Daryl Dixon, she realizes that there is so much more life to live out there, and that maybe there's a little something special about this romance thing, after all.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing from The Walking Dead.

Open Hearts

Chapter 1

Carol Peletier had been preparing herself for this moment since the day she'd found out she was pregnant. She'd been preparing for the moment her child left the house for good and started a new life on her own. Well, not completely on her own. Sophia was married, and Carol was having a very hard time dealing with the fact that her only baby was now a married woman.

Sophia had stayed at home all through college to save money, but the moment she'd finally realized there was a spark with her best friend, Carl Grimes, she'd barely been home, spending nearly every waking moment either in school, at work or with him.

The entirety of the night before had been spent with Carol and Sophia looking over old baby pictures and watching home movies, having a glass of wine each, laughing, and crying together as they both prepared for this new step in their lives. Carol had never been alone. She'd gone straight from her parents' house to her husband's house, running off to get married when she turned eighteen, and it hadn't been long after that that she'd become a mother, and her entire world had revolved around taking care of that precious life.

The marriage hadn't lasted, and Ed hadn't been a part of Sophia's life since she was three. Sophia considered Rick—Carl's father and Carol's friend—more of a father figure than anyone else, though she clearly didn't see Carl in a brotherly light. No, certainly not. Sophia Peletier was no more. Now, Sophia Grimes spun around on the dance floor, her long, white gown flowing as her pretty blonde hair swayed under the veil.

They danced, circling around together like two dizzy fools, laughing like crazy and kissing and hugging one another. It melted Carol's heart to see her daughter so happy, though at the same time, it hurt her heart to know that tonight, she'd be going home to an empty, quiet house, and those daily mother-daughter chats would be no more.

At forty, Carol felt accomplished. She was proud of the amazing woman Sophia had become. A recent college graduate, Sophia was now a very new but very excited kindergarten teacher, eager to teach and to impart knowledge on young, impressionable minds. And Carl wasn't doing too badly, either. He had graduated the police academy and was a rookie cop, fresh-faced and excited about the future. Yes, they would be ok, Carol felt certain.

It had worried her at first, Sophia wanting to get married so young, but Carol knew that opposing the marriage would be hypocritical, considering she'd been eighteen when she'd married, and Sophia was twenty-two. Carl Grimes was nothing like Ed, thankfully, and Carol trusted him completely to take care of her little girl. Still, she was a mother, and she would never stop worrying about her baby girl.

And it wasn't like Carol would be sitting around the house all day doing nothing but wondering how Sophia was doing and if she was happy. No, she had her writing to keep her busy. She wrote bi-weekly column for the local newspaper, answering single-parenting questions, generally trying to stay away from relationship advice all together. She'd always had a flare for writing, and it had only been by lucky, when she was newly divorced, that an letter she'd sent in to the paper had gotten the attention of the editor, Dale Horvath, and he'd called her up, asking her to write, answering questions and providing advice. He wanted a real perspective, not some Holly Housewife or June Cleaver perspective. He wanted real, honest answers from a woman who had loved and lost and learned a hell of a lot. Her piece had become quite popular.

Carol's Cookies was the title, something silly that Sophia had come up with, and she'd used it, even though recipes weren't even a part of her bi-weekly pieces. But, it had a ring to it and it had stuck, and for the past eighteen years or so, she'd become a regular fixture in the Wednesday and Sunday papers with her sense of humor and her candid opinions. She made decent money. Enough to provide a good life and a college education for her daughter. She had put some in savings, and she felt confident that one of these days, she could retire and travel. Maybe even meet someone.

God. The idea terrified her. She'd dated. She'd even thought she was falling in love a time or two, but nothing had ever turned out, and Sophia had always told her mother that the one was right around the corner, that she'd just run right into him one day, literally two worlds colliding. Carol had just rolled her eyes and told her daughter that she'd be getting married long before her mother would walk down the aisle again. And she'd been right.

Sitting at the bar, taking a sip of her amaretto sour, she sighed, eyes watering as she watched her daughter dancing with Carl. She was happy for her. Truly. She just couldn't believe her baby girl was now a wife. And someday, maybe, she'd be somebody's mother.

She sipped down the last of her drink, placing the empty glass on the bar. She turned on the bar stool, standing quickly and starting toward the dance floor, only to have the wind knocked out of her momentarily when she collided with someone.

"Oh!" she yelped, stumbling a little. Rough, calloused hands gripped her forearms and steadied her, and she looked up into two piercing blue eyes, partially masked by a mop of hair that flew in his face at the impact. He pushed his hand through his hair, tugging it back a little, eyes widening in surprise. "God, I'm…I'm sorry."

"I'm not," he said with a chuckle, smile widening slightly when he saw the flush in her cheeks. "Hey, you ok?"

"I'm fine. Clumsy and oblivious to my surroundings, but I'm alright," she laughed. "Are you ok? I think I stepped on your foot there."

"I'm good," he promised with a little bob of his head. "You're Sophia's mom, right?"

"Um, yes," she said uncertainly, narrowing her eyes slightly at the stranger who, now that she thought about it, looked a little familiar. "Why do I know you? You're so familiar."

"M'Daryl." he said with a nod. "Uh, Dixon. Probably seen me in some of Rick's huntin' pictures on the wall of his den." Carol's eyes widened in acknowledgement.

"Yes! You're his hunting buddy, Daryl."

"Oh, we go way back. High school. Used to hate each other. Think we beat the livin' shit out of each other a time or two, but after that, we were good buddies."

"Well, I'm glad you could put aside your differences," Carol said with a little laugh.

"You drinkin'?"

"Not anymore," she replied, motioning toward her empty glass before looking wistfully at the dance floor, where Sophia was now dancing a slow song with her new husband.

"You dancin'?"

"Not in these heels," she laughed. Just then, Sophia waved at her from the floor, motioning for her to come over. "Mother of the bride duty calls. Sorry, um, I think I may have scuffed your shoe up." They both looked down at his feet.

"No harm done. Don't wear these damned things most of the time, anyway. Just when I have to." Carol smiled at that.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Daryl."

"You too," he said with a smile that made her heart do a little tap dance. She lingered for a moment, before Sophia called for her.

"Mom?" Carol cleared her throat, turning to go to Sophia, peeking over her shoulder once along the way to see him staring. She smiled, blushing as she turned to focus on her daughter, though she couldn't ignore the way her skin tingled and her heart raced. Something about the way he'd looked at her had her body humming, and she couldn't help but think about how solid he'd felt when she'd smacked right into him.

 _Keep it together. Don't be the sad, drunk, single mom that starts feeling sorry for herself. Nope. You won't be that woman. Today's about Sophia._

...

"You're so beautiful," Carol said with a sad smile, hugging her little girl as she cradled the bouquet of flowers in her arms. Sophia had intentionally tossed them right at her mother, and Carol was certain of it. Clearly, Sophia had a deal going with her new mother-in-law, Michonne, who quickly encouraged all of the other women to step back so only Carol remained in the flower-throwing area. It had been done all with pure intentions, and Michonne had cackled, saying that this time next year, Carol would be the one walking down the aisle.

Shortly after the reception, guests began to disappear, and soon, only a small group stood around the car, and Carol was surprised at how disappointed she felt to not see Daryl anywhere around. But, of course he'd be gone. It wasn't like he was family. Still, she'd hoped to get to see him again, maybe even talk to him again, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Thanks, Mama," Sophia said with a tearful smile. "Thank you for being here for me through all of this. I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Soph." She pulled back and gave Carl a big hug. "You take care of my baby, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled. "Promise."

"You'll call me when you land, right?" Carol asked, eyebrows raised as she looked back and forth between Carl and Sophia.

"Yes. I promise. Even if it's the middle of the night, I'll call, because I know how you worry," Sophia grinned.

"Enjoy Hawaii. Think of me when you're walking on the beach," Carol said with a sigh.

"I will, Mama. I promise." She looked at Carl with equal parts happiness and anxiety and chewed her lip. "We should go."

"You two be safe. I'll see you in…what?"

"Two weeks," Sophia promised. "Love you."

"Love you," Carol murmured. She watched as Carl and Sophia climbed into the back of the limo, both giving one last wave to their families, and then they were off, and Carol felt suddenly very alone.

"Hey," Michonne said with a smile, bringing her arm around her friend's shoulders. "You going to be ok?"

"Yeah," Carol sighed. "I just…don't know what I'm going to do with myself. You're lucky you have Judith at home."

"Judith's twelve, and she's in that 'you're my step-mom, so I'm going to be a brat to you just because' stage. I don't think 'lucky' is the right word." Michonne made a face, and Carol laughed. "Hey, if you want, you can always ride along with us, have a drink at the house if you're not ready to go back yet."

"No, it's alright," Carol said with a smile. "I have to go home sometime. I'll be alright."

"You sure, honey?"

"I'm sure," Carol promised. "Thank you for thinking of me." Carol turned to head back inside and grab her things from bag check outside the hotel lobby. By the time she got her keys and purse, the parking lot was deserted. She was a little thankful for that. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate her friends looking out for her, she didn't exactly need another 'aw, I'm so sorry you're all alone now that your daughter's grown and married' speech.

So, she took her time walking to the car, enjoying the way the silence filled her and the cool breeze plastered her skirt around her calves, the smooth, silky material soothing her aching legs. Standing in heels all day was not exactly her idea of a good time, but she'd done it for Sophia.

As she reached her car, she unlocked it and slid inside. The moment she turned the key, her stomach dropped. It wouldn't turn over.

"Shit!" she hissed under her breath, trying the ignition again. It made a pitiful, choked whir before dying again. "No. No, don't do this to me. Come on." She attempted it again with the same results.

"Everything alright?" She jumped when Daryl Dixon leaned down with his hands against the window frame.

"Oh!"

"I keep scarin' you tonight," he said with a sheepish grin. "Car trouble?"

"Yeah. God, it was working earlier."

"I can take a look at it, if you want."

"You work on cars?"

"I'm a mechanic," he said with a nod. "Ain't got the light for it tonight, but I can come back tomorrow."

"You don't have to do that."

"Free of charge. You take it anywhere in town, they'll charge you a tow fee, and then they'll rob you blind."

"That's really nice of you. Thank you," she said with a smile.

"You need a ride home?"

"You're offering?"

"Only if ya don't mind wearin' one of these." Carol's eyes widened as she glanced at the helmet that he held up. She had never taken a ride from a stranger in her entire life, let alone a handsome stranger on a motorcycle. But he was Rick's friend, and she trusted Rick, so that soothed her nerves a little bit. It still didn't curb the way her skin tingled or her cheeks blushed as he looked at her. She took a deep breath, wetting her lips and swallowing hard.

"Oh. You…you ride a motorcycle?"

"Yeah. You never rode?"

"Never," she said with a grin and a shake of her head. Daryl smirked then, opening Carol's car door and holding his hand out.

"Good. First time's always the best," he promised, his voice low, and, Carol thought, a slight bit suggestive. "You up for it?"

"I'm up for it," she said with a nod, sliding out of the car and locking it up.

"Good. Ride's this way," he said with a wave toward the other side of the lot. Carol stood for a moment, watching him walk away, feeling every nerve in her body coiling, and she took a deep breath and then a step to follow him, though it might as well have been a giant leap of faith.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The roar of the motorcycle was greatly muffled by the helmet she wore. Her arms were wrapped securely around his waist. Her body shook through the vibration of the motorcycle underneath her, and the wind whipped at her bare legs as they tore down the highway toward Carol's home.

Her hands gripped at his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin through the fabric of his shirt. Her body thrummed with excitement as he they made a quick turn and started downhill, picking up speed. She was terrified and thrilled at the same time, and she gripped him harder, unable to close her eyes, unwilling to lose any moment of this. She hadn't felt so alive in years, which was why she felt a twinge of disappointment when Daryl pulled up outside of the address she'd given him, the home she'd raised her daughter in, the place she felt most at ease in the entire world.

"This the place?" he asked, cutting the motor and getting up off the bike. She nodded, and he chuckled as the helmet wobbled slightly on her head. He helped her with the chinstrap and picked it up, grinning as her previously styled short hair was flat and messy. He quickly ran his hand over it, and she blushed.

"Helmet hair?" she asked with a laugh. He held his hand out to her, and she awkwardly climbed off the bike, feeling her knees wobble a bit as he helped her up onto the curb. "Thank you. I appreciate the ride."

"No trouble," he said with a shrug. "I can take my pickup out there tomorrow, haul the car to my house. Can haul it right back when it's finished. That alright?"

"That's fine."

"Here…so you know where to find me if anything else goes wrong with it." Daryl murmured, pulling something out of his pocket. It was his wallet. He pulled out a card and handed it over to her. Her fingers brushed his as she took it, and she felt a spark surge from her fingers to her core. _God, you really haven't been out much, have you?_

"Dixon's Auto Repairs."

"Specialize in bikes, but we do cars, too. Just about everything."

"You own it?" He nodded.

"Been fixin' cars my whole life. Figured I might as well try and make some money doin' it. I do alright," he said with a little nod.

"Clearly you aren't fixing everybody's cars for free, then," Carol said with a grin.

"Nope," he replied, chuckling nervously, running a hand anxiously through his hair. Carol glanced up toward the dark house, not quite ready to face the quiet yet.

"Can I offer you a cup of coffee, Daryl? It's the least I can do since you've been so nice." She felt a little dizzy from the ride over, a little flushed and heated, and she could totally blame part of that on the drink she'd had at the wedding, but honestly, most of that had worn off already, and she was truly just coming down from the exhilaration of the ride on Daryl's motorcycle.

"Coffee'd be nice," he agreed.

"Alright. Oh! Before I forget." She quickly slid a key off of her key ring and handed it to him. "For the car."

"Right," he murmured, following her up the sidewalk and up the stairs to the front door.

The house was silent the moment Carol opened the door. She flicked on the living room light, flooding the place with light. Daryl glanced around, seeing the way it was so well kept, everything in its place but not in a compulsive way. It was homey, cheerful, the whole wall behind the television lined with pictures of Sophia from birth to recently.

"You take these pictures?" Daryl asked quietly, nodding toward the wall.

"Some of them," she said with a smile. "I can't take credit for the school pictures though."

"You got a good eye," he said quietly. "Real talent."

"Thank you," she smiled. "But I'm a writer." Daryl glanced at her, and she grinned.

"Anything I ever heard of?"

"Do you read the paper?"

"You a reporter?"

"No," she laughed. "Not exactly. I have a column. Kind of an advice column for single parents. Though I feel like my well's run a little dry at the moment." Daryl thought for a moment, before his eyes flickered with recognition.

"You're that cookie lady. Carol's Cookies." Carol groaned at that and nodded, wincing at the sound of it on his lips.

"It was something silly that Sophia came with. It just kind of stuck."

"You write good."

"Oh, don't tell me you're interested in the opinions of a single mom, Daryl Dixon," she teased, nudging his arm as she walked past him.

"You write good. Real good answers," he said with a nod. "Bet you help a lot of people."

"I hope so," she said with a little shrug. "But nobody's perfect, and I certainly have made my share of mistakes. I was a young mom, single by the time I was twenty-one, and it's pretty hard, pretty scary when it hits you that you're responsible for this little life, and nobody's going to help you but yourself."

"Sophia's a nice girl. Met her once when Carl brought her to Rick's. You did good with her."

"I hope so," Carol sighed. She nodded toward the hall. "Kitchen's this way."

Before Carol knew it, it was nearly one in the morning, and she and Daryl had sat through three cups of coffee each, exchanging stories and just filling the time with talk. It was nice. Carol found out that Daryl came from a broken home. His father was in prison before he could remember, and his mother was a kind, loving woman who worked three jobs to keep her boys clothed and fed until she passed unexpectedly when Daryl was seventeen. He'd stayed with his older brother until he'd turned eighteen.

Merle was his brother, and Merle had been in and out of trouble with the law from the time he was old enough to drop out of high school. Drugs, mostly, but Daryl had never seen the thrill of it and had gotten as far away from it when he was legally able. Carol admired that Daryl had managed to grow up with all of that and still turn out to be a pretty decent guy who worked hard to earn his money and to have the life he had.

In turn, she'd revealed all about her early marriage, motherhood and divorce and her job with the paper that allowed her to work from home. She admitted that she hadn't been out in the world too much, because Sophia had been her whole world, and it had been fairly difficult as a young mother to scrape up enough money to go out and do a whole lot. But now that she had a regular, steady paycheck coming in, now that she'd built a life for herself and had a pretty decent savings, she was feeling a bit adventurous and a little anxious at the same time. She'd blushed when she'd admitted that.

She found it amazingly easy to talk to him. She had friends. Rick and Michonne were good friends now. She'd known them through Sophia's childhood. First she knew Rick and Lori as Carl's parents, and then years down the line, there was Michonne as Carl's stepmother. Then when Sophia became best friends with Carl, they knew each other in passing, dropping each other's kids off back and forth between homes. It was when things got serious between Carl and Sophia that the families started having dinners together, making plans. Carol liked Rick and Michonne, and she was even beginning to branch out into a pretty strong friendship with Michonne. They would go for coffee or lunch, and Michonne was really easy to talk to. But talking to Daryl was like talking to someone she'd known for years. It was nice, and it was easy, and she hadn't expected to enjoy talking to a virtual stranger in her kitchen in the wee hours of the morning as much as she did.

"God, it's late," she chuckled. "I didn't realize."

"I probably better go," he said with a nod. "I 'preciate the coffee. And the comp'ny." Carol smiled, blushing at that, and she nodded a little.

"Me, too. I mean, the company." Carol stood, and Daryl stood along with her.

"Can I have your number?" he asked, choking on the last word. "I mean, to let ya know when I got your car ready."

"Oh," she said with surprise, pursing her lips and trying not to giggle at the flush in his cheeks. "Yeah. Um, give me one of your business cards." Daryl pulled his wallet out and fished through it for a card. He handed it to her, and she quickly scrawled her phone number on it, gazing up at him briefly as she did so. She tucked the card back into his hand. "Now you can call me." _Holy shit. Stop flirting. You're 40 for Christ's sakes._ Then the next thought. _On the other hand, you still have a pulse, so why not?_ _Isn't 40 the new 30, anyway?_

"I will," he said with a little smirk. Carol noticed how soft his lips looked, and maybe she was just hormonal from all of the changes in her life, but it was all she could do not to lean in and press her lips against his.

She cleared her throat, walking past him, leading him down the hall and to the front door.

"Thank you, Daryl For everything," she said softly.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he promised. She bit her lip, and she knew her cheeks were bright red, and God, she wanted him to make some kind of a move, but this wasn't some romantic comedy or some romance novel. Instead, she made the first move, extending her hand out for a shake. She chuckled, taking her hand in his, smoothly running his thumb over her knuckles.

"Nice to meet you, Carol. G'night." The he was gone, and Carol felt her heart fluttering in her chest as she leaned against the door. She hadn't swooned over a man in a long time, and God, what a man to swoon over.

With a smile still on her face, she turned out the house lights and headed upstairs to bed.

...

"Hello?" Carol asked with a groggy yawn at four in the morning.

"Mama, it's me," Sophia said softly. "We had a layover in Denver, so I wanted to call you and tell you we made it to Colorado alright."

"Are you guys ok?"

"We're good, Mama. You got home from the wedding ok?"

"Actually," Carol said with a slight laugh, sitting up in bed and staring into the dark, "my car wouldn't start."

"What? How'd you get home?"

"You know Daryl Dixon?"

"Yeah. Carl's dad's friend. He helped you home?"

"Uh-huh. He took me home on his motorcycle."

"Stop. He did not!" Sophia laughed. "You got on a motorcycle?"

"Don't act so surprised, Soph. There are a few things about your mother you don't know."

"But you, on a motorcycle? That I'd have to see to believe."

"Well, maybe next time, I'll take a picture," Carol teased.

"Oh, there's going to be a next time, huh?" The teasing lilt of Sophia's voice had Carol blushing.

"Oh, shush."

"No, I'm just saying," Sophia started, "you're single. He's single, I think, and he's pretty easy on the eyes, Mom."

"Oh, here we go again."

"What?"

"Sophia, dear, not every single man in the world is someone I should date. I realize you probably think I'm desperate, but…"

"No," Sophia laughed. "But you should have fun. I want you to be happy, Mama. All you ever knew was Ed, and that's sad, because it sounds like he was a total asshole."

"Language!" Carol snorted. "Alright, so you and Carl are ok? How long is your layover?"

"Just a couple hours," Sophia said quickly. "Don't change the subject. Mama, I love you, and I want you to be happy, and I don't want you to be alone."

"I'm not going to just shrivel up and die, you know," Carol joked. "You're so sweet, and I love you so much for worrying, but stop it right now. You're on your honeymoon, and you're a new bride, and you should be happy and enjoying your husband. Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

"You should be more than fine. Mama, you haven't had a vacation since I was, what, thirteen? When we went up Gatlinburg? You should take a vacation. Get out, go do something fun."

"When did you start ordering me around, young lady?" Carol asked with a grin.

"Just promise me you won't sit around the house and write all day. It's your work, but it's not your life. And if Daryl asks you out, don't shut him down. Think about it."

"Alright, I'm hanging up," Carol laughed.

"I love you, Mama. And I swear, if I come home and you're rearranging furniture or sitting at your computer, I'm dragging you out of the house and taking you to the mall or something. Promise me you'll do something fun for you."

"Oh, fine. I promise. Love you, sweetie."

"Love you, Mama." The line went dead, and Carol put her phone away before collapsing on the bed and staring, wide-awake up at ceiling. It was then that images of Daryl Dixon began to run through her head. She sighed and groaned, rolling over into her pillow, huffing and wondering just how on earth she was supposed to get any sleep when all she could do was think about those lips and those eyes and the way he smelled so outdoorsy with a dash of cologne for the wedding. And then her mind drifted to the way his rough, calloused hand was gentle with hers when he shook it or the way he smiled when they chatted.

She sighed, rolling over in the bed again. _So much for going back to sleep._ Oh, it was going to be a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Carol had managed to catch a couple more hours of sleep, but by the time she'd pulled herself out of bed, she was feeling groggy and maybe a little grumpy.

The house was so quiet. The door to Sophia's room was open, and the purple walls were bare, all of her pictures and things packed away. The bed was bare, and the desk, dresser and nightstand were piled with boxes she'd be picking up when she returned from Hawaii to start her new life with Carl in their apartment downtown.

With a frown, Carol shut the door and felt a little better not having to stare into Sophia's soon-to-be-empty room. She moved downstairs, opening the front windows to let a nice breeze in. Just as she was about to walk into the kitchen, the doorbell rang, startling her. She gave herself a once over in the hall mirror, moving her fingers through her short, graying hair, and she looked down at herself in her oversized t-shirt and grey sleep pants. Well, whoever it was, they certainly couldn't expect much this time of morning.

The moment she opened the door, she suddenly regretted not, at least, running a brush through her hair. Daryl Dixon was standing there with a box of donuts in one hand and a carton with two cups of coffee in the other.

"Mornin'," he said with a nod, as Carol's eyes widened and her face brightened to an embarrassing shade of red. She peeked over his shoulder to see her car sitting out front right behind a black pickup truck.

"Uh, I…good morning," she said a bit stiffly, crossing her arms in front of her chest as the chill of the morning air hit her. "It's…seven in the morning."

"Car's done," he offered.

"That's great," she said with a little chuckle. "Um, thank you. That was…fast."

"Quick fix. No big deal. Thought you might want breakfast." He thrust the box out a bit awkwardly, and Carol took it in her hands, opening it to see an assortment of donuts, including jelly-filled and cinnamon-sugar twists, her ultimate favorite. And that coffee smelled like heaven.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "Come on in. If you don't mind waiting in the kitchen, I'll just go put on something that's, well, not pajamas." Her cheeks flushed when she saw the way he looked at her, the way his gaze dipped lower before coming back to her face. She was heated now, and she welcomed the cool air like an old friend. She shivered, and Daryl gave her a little nod.

"Don't mind," he said with a shrug. Carol stepped out of the way and let him inside, and she quickly hurried up the stairs, oblivious to the fact that she was taking them two at a time, and she got dressed at almost record speed. She did a quick style job on her hair, rubbing some gel in it to help it spike a little like usual, and then she was ready. Still, her heart fluttered beneath her breast like some lovesick schoolgirl's every time the quarterback walked by and winked at her.

When she returned to downstairs and made her way to the kitchen, she saw Daryl standing by the counter with a cup of coffee in one hand. He was looking at a photograph on the refrigerator. It was of her, one Sophia took at the bridal shower. It was a candid, and Carol hadn't even known she was being photographed. Sophia had put it up on the refrigerator, much to her mother's protests, but in the end, Sophia had won, and the picture had remained.

"God, I forgot that was there," Carol murmured, moving over toward the fridge and reaching out to take the picture down.

"It's nice," he said quietly. "You've got pretty eyes." Carol blushed even brighter than, and she took a deep breath.

"So do you," she replied with a grin. Daryl ducked his head a little, and she chuckled. "What? You don't have people complimenting your eyes all the time? They should. They're beautiful." She watched his face turn a couple of different shades of embarrassment, and she leaned over, picking a donut up out of the box and grabbing the other cup of coffee. She could feel his eyes on her as she sipped the steaming beverage, and when she glanced at him, she nearly choked. "What?"

"You wanna do something with me?" he asked, voice a little low and gruff. Carol raised her eyebrows and lowered the cup of coffee.

"Something? Like what," she pried, narrowing her eyes a little at him as she took another sip.

"Dunno. Just…last night, you looked like somebody kicked your puppy, and I know ya gotta be missin' your girl right now."

"So, you're…asking me out on a pity date?" Daryl's eyes went wide under the curtain of hair that fell in his face, he quickly tugged his fingers through his hair, pushing it back and taking a deep breath. "Breathe, Daryl. I was teasing."

"Ain't no pity date," he mumbled. "Just…can't be easy." Carol tilted her head to the side a little, smiling at him. "What?"

"How are you single?" she asked with a laugh. Daryl blushed then, and Carol took another bite of donut, waiting for his reply. When he said nothing, she took another drink of coffee and put the cup down on the counter, feeling a little more brazen. He was easy to talk to. Never in her life had she felt comfortable enough with a man to just start flirting when she barely even knew him. "You are single, right? Because if it turns out you're married with a host of kids at home, this might be a little awkward."

"Never married, swear to God," he choked out. "And kids? Had a couple scares with a couple women a time or two, but that's all they were. Never was nobody's dad."

"So what makes a—and I'm guessing here—a man in his 40s read single mom parenting advice and know exactly the right time to show up for sympathy donuts and coffee?"

"Thirty-nine," he said with a shrug. Carol quirked an eyebrow. A younger man. Boy, she could hear the teasing and 'cougar' talk from Sophia already. "And I like to read. Read the whole paper, even if I don't agree with it. And I like the way you write. Don't know how you write it with a straight face sometimes." Carol laughed then. "Read one once, some girl was writin', askin' about the best way to go about asking four different men for paternity tests."

"Oh, that one," Carol said, blushing. "Yeah, I had nothing. I cheated a little, did some Internet research."

"Good call," he said with a nod. "Ya handled that one pretty good."

"I get a lot of questions, and some of them I can't even attempt to answer. I'm getting tired though. Tired of helping everybody else with their problems, you know? If I'd wanted to do that my entire life, I think I would have gone to school to be a therapist." She rolled her eyes. "Of course, getting married right out of high school and having a baby with the biggest jerk this side of the Grand Canyon would have made that difficult." She smiled a little. "You've never thought about getting married?"

"Me? No," he said with a shake of his head. "Never _been_ with somebody long enough to think about wantin' to get married."

"Oh," Carol said with a little smile. "Well, I'm no expert, but maybe never being married isn't such a bad thing. The only good thing to come out of mine was Sophia. And I love Sophia. I don't regret having her for a moment. It's just…"

"What?"

"I was so young. _So_ young. There are so many things out there in this world that I haven't experienced. Things I would love to see and do, and it would have been much easier to do them when I was younger."

"Like what?" Daryl asked, leaning back against the counter, taking another sip of coffee.

"Well…like being on the motorcycle last night. It was the most terrifying, exhilarating thing I've done in a long time."

"Liked it, huh?" he asked with a grin.

"I can see the appeal," she conceded, smiling and popping another piece of donut in her mouth.

"Let's go," he offered.

"What?" she choked. "Now?"

"Still cool out, and it'll make for a nice ride in the country."

"You…I…"

"C'mon. Could be fun." She stared up into his gorgeous blue eyes and anxiously bit her lip. It was then that Sophia's voice popped into her head.

 _"Promise me you'll do something fun for you._ "

"Oh…why not?" Carol said with a shrug, putting her coffee down.

"Yeah?"

"Sure. What the hell?" she laughed. "Let's do it."

"You mind ridin' back to my place in the pickup?"

"Not at all," she said with an easy smile. She didn't know what it was that made her trust this man so much, but something told her that this day could turn out to be one of the most memorable of her life. "I just need to, uh, I'll be right back." She pointed toward the ceiling, and he nodded, and she hurried up the stairs to the bathroom, quickly brushing her teeth and gargling with mouthwash. She felt a little silly and presumptuous, but hey, if this was going to be some sort of a date, then she had to be prepared. She cast a long look at Sophia's box of bathroom necessities that she knew contained condoms, even though she'd always pretended not to know they were there to save Sophia all sorts of embarrassment. Ok, she didn't need to be _that_ prepared. It was just a date. Maybe not even really a date. Just a little bit of time spent together alone where anything could happen. Alright, so it was a date. But surely nothing was going to happen. Maybe a kiss. Maybe. Maybe even that was hoping for too much.

She started to reach for the box but couldn't bring herself to do it. The least she could do was buy her own stash. No need to steal from her daughter.

 _Oh, you're crazy. He's just being nice. Now stop over thinking things. Yeah, it's been a while since you've had sex, but not every man is a walking erection, you know? Just because he makes you all tingly down below doesn't mean he wants in your panties._

Carol groaned, willing her thoughts to stop, but it was no use. She was attracted to him, and that was certain. He _did_ make her all tingly down below, and while she could chalk it up to simply not having had sex for a very long time, she knew it was much more than that.

She took a deep breath, ran her fingers through her hair one last time and decided that she was going to stop over thinking things. She was going to take Sophia's advice and do something fun, and she wasn't going to let herself sit around the house feeling lonely and sad all weekend. It was time to do something for herself for once, and she couldn't think of any better way to start than by hopping on that bike and just going wherever Daryl took the initiative to take them.

...

Just before they'd headed out the door, Sophia had called the announce that she and Carl had made it safely to Hawaii, easing Carol's anxieties tenfold. By the time they stepped outside, she was more than ready to just relax and have a good time.

He'd driven for a half hour, taking her over hilly back roads, speeding up a little after each curve. Her grip had tightened on him each time, and she swore she heard him chuckle, as if he'd sped up just to get her to hold on a little tighter. But she didn't care.

He'd pulled onto a road that winded along a river, and there was a pull over spot where drivers could stop and admire the scenery, feed the ducks or just sit and watch the water endlessly flow by. He'd hopped off the bike first, and she'd removed the helmet with ease, propping it up on Daryl's seat.

She pulled her cell phone out then, and he quirked an eyebrow up at her.

"You bored with me already?" he asked.

"What? No! No, I…you'll think it's silly." She blushed, squinting as the sun behind his head cast a halo of light around him. He stepped toward her, blocking the sun out, and she relaxed.

"Try me," he offered.

"My daughter," she chuckled. "Sophia asked me to do something fun, and I don't think she quite believed me when I told her you took me home on your bike last night. I was going to give her proof."

"Here," he offered, holding his hand out. "I'll take your picture if you want." Her fingers bushed his as she dropped the phone into his palm. He squinted, checking the shot before shaking his head. "Hold the helmet." She nodded, grabbing the helmet and cradling it under one arm.

"This good?"

"Beautiful," he murmured, almost too quiet for her to hear. But she'd heard it, and she smiled, blushing. Then she heard the shutter click, and Daryl smiled as the shot came up on the screen. He quickly saved it.

"Let me see?" she asked. He handed her the phone back, and she stared down at the picture, seeing the flush of pink in her cheeks, the way her own eyes sparkled in the sunlight, the way she looked so happy. He'd put that smile on her face, that flush in her cheeks, and now a part of her ached, as if she didn't want this moment to end. If only she could capture a photo of him in this moment, too. But she didn't have the chance to try, before he was taking her hand and helping her up off the bike. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he said with a shy grin. He let go of her hand, and her fingers tingled, and they walked side-by-side down the path that led down to the river's edge. There was a foot path where a few children and their watchful parents stood feeding birds stale bread crumbs. Up ahead, there was a small lip of walkway, like a pier with railing that looked out over the water.

He led her there, and they stepped out, and Carol gasped softly, leaning over the railing and peering straight down into the water. She could feel the water lapping at the bottom of the platform, and the air was so much cooler here. Daryl nudged her arm, pointing in the direction of the sun, where it filtered through the leaves, casting an enchanted, glimmering light on the water down below.

"It's beautiful," she said with a smile, leaning over the far railing to get a better look. Daryl moved up next to her, leaning.

"Me and my brother used to come fishin' out here when we was kids, back before they put in the observation deck and this thing." He tapped his boot against the boards below their feet. "Merle used to tell me it shined like that 'cause there was gold down there. Never did understand why he wouldn't just let me jump in and get it." Carol smiled at that, brushing her hand over his, surprising them both.

To her surprise, he curled his fingers over hers and gave them a little squeeze, and a bolt of white hot energy flooded her system. She tried not to let him feel the way she trembled when he touched her, but she noticed the way he looked down at her hand and knew he could feel her shaking. He let go of her, then, and turned, leaning his back against the railing.

"Where to next?" he asked.

"Oh, there's more?" Carol asked with a little laugh.

"Sure. It's the weekend. I don't work. You gotta write today?"

"No," she smiled. "I already submitted this week's stuff last week."

"Good thinkin'," he chuckled. "So where to next? I got a full tank of gas, and I ain't in no hurry to get back to town." She watched as he pushed the hair out of his eyes and let out a slow breath. "If you're wonderin', this is me askin'." She smiled, blushing at the words as she realized he really was making this out to be a date. And if his last words weren't enough, he leaned in a little closer. "Would ya do me the honor of bein' my date?"

"All day?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Why not?" he asked, smile spreading over his lips, triggering her own. She grinned and nodded.

"Alright," she said with a nod. "I'd love to be your date, Daryl."

...

When Carl stepped out of the hotel bathroom, face covered in shaving cream, razor poised in his hand, he stared at his new wife like she'd grown an extra head. She was leaning over her phone, grinning like crazy with barely contained glee, giggling softly.

"What's up?" he asked. She looked up at him, smiling widely, waving him over.

"I don't want to speak too soon, so I'll just let this text do all the talking." She handed him her phone, and he looked at the picture of Carol that Daryl had taken, and underneath it, Carol had typed something.

 _I took you up on your advice. Daryl brought me donuts and coffee, and he took this picture. It's going to be a good day_. _Love you, Soph. Enjoy your honeymoon, and you'd better take your own advice and do something fun today._

Carl grinned and tossed the phone aside before pouncing on his wife, getting shaving cream all over her face. She squealed, slapping at his chest.

"Carl Grimes, are you crazy? What are you doing?"

"Taking your advice, apparently. Something fun," he said with a grin, kissing her deeply until the laughter faded and was replaced by gentle sighs and soft whimpers of desire.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 _Author's Note: Special thanks to Darluvscaryl for the first date idea. 3_

"Are you serious?" she laughed, taking the club into her hand and putting one hand on her hip. "I love mini golf! Haven't played since Sophia was a kid."

"Good," Daryl said with a grin, holding the golf club awkwardly in one hand.

"You've never played have you?"

"Never," he said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "But I figure it's gotta be more fun than the regular game. Don't see how folks can get such a kick out of watchin' a little white ball fly through the air and maybe land in a hole."

"Oh, this is _much_ more fun. If you've never played before, why'd you bring me here?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"'Cause you're s'posed to be havin' fun, and c'mon, look at this place. All castles and windmills and shit. Could be fun."

"Oh, alright. I see what you're getting at." She grinned at him, taking a step toward him, tossing the purple golf ball up a little, letting it fall back into her palm, repeating the action a few times.

"What're you talkin' about?"

"You want me to show you how to swing just so you can get my arms around you, right?" Her voice was teasing, but the way the tops of his ears turned red and his cheeks brightened told her she wasn't too far off base. "Well, if you play your cards right…" _Who are you, and what have you done with Carol? Carol doesn't flirt. You're flirting. God, we should be embarrassed._

Daryl's grin widened, and Carol decided to ignore her inner monologue, because, clearly, her own insecurities had no place between them today.

They made their way up to the first hole, and Carol went first, getting the ball in well under par. She glanced up at him once before tapping the ball, and she saw him staring. Grinning, she expertly sunk the ball into the cup and bent over to pick it out. She heard him clear his throat, and she swore she heard a slight groan. Curiosity got the better of her, and she looked up at him as she straightened, and sure enough he was trying pretty damned hard to not be so obvious that he'd been staring at her ass.

When it was his turn, he barely even touched the ball with his club, and he sighed. Carol grinned, moving up behind him, sliding her hands down his arms and wrists.

"Now I've never played regular golf," she murmured. "But I do know a thing or two about put-put. So just keep your eye on the ball and…" She moved her arms along with his and guided him into a little tap, and the ball gently skidded off of the side of the path, bounced off the other and landed in the hole. "Nice shot. You might be better at this than you think."

"Got a good teacher," he said with a grin. She blushed and cocked her head to the side.

"What do you say we make this a friendly competition?" she suggested.

"Sure. When you win, what do you want?" Carol laughed at that.

"Oh come on now, have a little confidence," she urged. Then she grinned. "If I win, I pick the place we have lunch."

"Fair enough," he nodded. "And if I win…" She couldn't barely contain a laugh as she watched him struggle to come up with a decent prize. "If I win, you come out with me tomorrow." Carol smiled and leaned in. She narrowed her eyes at him a little and cocked her head to the side.

"A second date, huh?"

"Why not?"

"Why not," she laughed. "Ok. Deal." She turned to start toward the next hole, but then she turned around, and Daryl couldn't help but check her ass out as her hips gently swayed back and forth, and it was all he could do to concentrate on the game after that.

...

"Must've been beginner's luck," Daryl said as they turned in their golf balls and clubs. "Or maybe you just let me win, 'cause ya wanted another date." Carol made a face at him and laughed.

"Oh, get over yourself, Fabio," she snorted.

"Fabio? Like that long-haired, fake butter guy that got hit in the face by a bird? You go for guys like that?"

"No," she replied. "Pretty boys aren't my type." She smiled, climbing onto the back of the motorcycle behind him. She leaned forward, lips a breath away from his ear. "And just so you know, you didn't have to win a game to get a second date with me. I'd have gone with you tomorrow, anyway." She pulled on the helmet and then pulled her arms around his middle, and he sucked in a sharp breath at the sensation of her warm hands against his sides. She felt him tense. "You ok?"

"You sayin' I ain't pretty?" he joked, getting a laugh out of her, taking his own mind off of the effect her closeness was having on him. _Smooth._ She bit her lip and smiled, thankful he couldn't see the blush in her cheeks. Yes, this was going to be fun, she knew, and she couldn't wait to find out where he was taking her next.

Daryl took off, pulling out onto the highway and driving further away from town. Carol's hands tightened at his sides, and he felt his heart pound a little harder in his chest, not to mention a distinct pull in his groin at the thought of other places he wouldn't mind having her hands.

They drove for about an hour, and they began to get into the mountains. Carol began to wonder if he was just going to keep on driving, until Daryl pulled off the road and into a small clearing, cutting the motor and hopping off the bike.

"Where are we?" Carol asked, as she removed the helmet and ran her fingers through her hair.

"My place," he admitted. Carol quirked an eyebrow, peering off down the gravel drive toward a quaint log cabin house camouflaged by big, old trees. "Don't worry. We ain't stayin'." The last thing he wanted was for her to think he expected something of her, and he saw the smile she tried to hide, though her blushing cheeks gave away her current train of thought.

"I thought you worked in town."

"I do," he said with a shrug. "This is just my huntin' cabin. I stay close to where I work, but I like to come out here on the weekends. It's a long drive, but I don't mind. Got the best view around out here. Wanted you to see it." He nodded toward the path, and she put the helmet on the motorcycle seat before she began to walk along with him, her fingers brushing his. She swallowed and felt the distinct urge to curl her fingers around his, but she pulled her hand away quickly.

They made their way around to the back of the cabin, and Carol let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. The view was spectacular. There was a large deck, complete with a couple of chairs with a table between them. The deck overlooked a small valley, thick with trees and bushes. A stream, likely cutting out from the Yellow Jacket river wound through it. It was beautiful and lush, and Carol couldn't help but move closer to get a better look.

"Most nights, if you watch close enough, the deer come out down by that bunch of shrubs." Daryl pointed to a patch down the stream a ways.

"It's beautiful," she said softly. She stepped up onto the deck and leaned over the railing. "I bet the sunsets are amazing." She felt the warmth of the sun on her face and closed her eyes as the breeze caressed her cheeks. She felt his hand brush against hers as he moved to stand beside her.

"You should see it," he said quietly. "Maybe you will, sometime." She smiled at that, feeling her cheeks blushing pink. She turned to face him.

"So you brought me here to show me the view?" she asked, her voice low, a little shaky. Daryl cleared his throat, and she saw the way the tops of his ears reddened with growing anxiety.

"Sure."

"So where are we going now?"

"Uh, wherever you wanna go. It's your day."

"My day?"

"Yep," he said with a nod. "We'll do whatever you wanna do. We're havin' fun, remember?" Carol smiled then, and she stepped toward him.

"Whatever I want?" She saw him swallow hard, and she grinned.

"That's what I said, ain't it?"

"Good," she said with a little nod. "Well, first of all…" She leaned in then, brushing her lips against his, sighing softly at the feel of his lips, a little chapped but soft and warm against her own. He froze briefly before relaxing, bringing his hand up to her face, cradling it softly before he pulled back.

"That's what you wanted to do?"

"I figured if we're having a whole day long date, we should get that out of the way before things get awkward." She grinned a little when he snorted, and she pulled back. "Now you don't have to be nervous to kiss me goodnight."

"Don't know about that," he said quietly, ducking his head. She leaned in once again, pressing her lips against his.

"I do," she replied. She took a step back and then nodded her head toward the motorcycle. "Alright, let's go."

"Where we goin'?"

"Mmm….we'll see," she said with a smile. And then she turned, and he followed her, and all he could do was hope he could keep up. His heart thundered in his chest, his palms began to sweat, and he felt a little dizzy. And it was the best feeling in the world. And he'd never been happier.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _Author's note: Special thanks to Kymmi55 on for inspiring the events beginning in this chapter._

They had gone out to lunch and then for a walk along the riverside, and by the time sunset came along, Carol was beginning to get tired. She'd try to suppress the yawn through dinner, but she just couldn't help it. After a glass of wine, she was feeling pretty sleepy, and Daryl had insisted on getting her home.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm so tired," she said softly, as they walked up the sidewalk to Carol's front porch.

"S'alright. Your kid got married yesterday. You gotta be exhausted from all that weddin' stuff."

"Right," Carol said with a smile. She laced her fingers with his as they walked up onto the porch, and she played with her keys a little bit, cocking her head to the side.

"What?" he asked, feeling a little nervous under her questionable gaze.

"Nothing," she said with a smile. "Thank you for today. I had a lot of fun. It was nice to get out of the house and just…be with someone, you know?"

"I know," he said with a nod. His thumb brushed over her knuckles. "You wanna do this again tomorrow?"

"I'd love to," she said with a grin, thankful that tomorrow was Sunday, so that meant she might get him for the whole day, once again. Her keys jangled in her hand again, and Daryl leaned in, pressing his lips against hers, expecting a kiss like they'd shared earlier. What he hadn't expected was for her to drop her keys and move that hand up to curl her fingers into the neck of his shirt. What he hadn't expected was for her to open up to him, the brush of her tongue against his lips. He opened up to her then, deepening the kiss, a soft groan escaping his lips as a white heat coursed through them both. She broke away then, stumbling back slightly, eyes a little heavy but filled with surprise at her own actions. She quickly scooped the keys up off the porch and straightened, meeting his gaze as her cheeks pinked up.

"I should go," he chuckled, clearing his throat and tightening his grip on her hand.

"Probably," she said with a withering smile. "But you don't have to. I mean, if you want some coffee or…or another glass of wine, we could talk a little longer." The truth of the matter was that she just wasn't ready to let him go yet. Never in her entire life had she felt such a strong attraction to someone, this intense desire to be with them, even if just to talk or to kiss or for a sweet brush of a thumb across her lips. It was intoxicating and overwhelming, and she just didn't want to be alone.

"You want me to stay?"

"I never invite a man in after the first date," she offered. "But _, technically_ , we're still on our date, right? The day's not over yet."

Daryl eyed her then, seeing the smirk on her lips and the twinkle in her eyes, and then the smile pulled at his lips. _God bless technicalities_. Still, he didn't want her to think that all he wanted was to get into her pants, so he really didn't want to give in that easily. He wanted her. There was no doubt about that. But he didn't want to be that guy, and he didn't want her to doubt his intentions down the line. He'd been burned a time or two in the past, and the last thing he wanted was to mess up this fragile, beautiful and extremely new thing that was developing between them.

"I'd like to, but I should go. Rest up for tomorrow." He saw that she was trying to hide her disappointment with an understanding smile. She gave him a little nod.

"Alright. Thank you," she murmured. "I had fun today." She stood on her tiptoes then, brushing her fingertips against his neck as she pressed her lips against his.

"Me too," he murmured, suddenly regretting his decision to leave.

A flash of lightning lit up the sky, and Carol jumped.

"That came out of nowhere," she said softly, eyes growing wide as a clap of thunder rolled through the air, shaking the ground.

"You scared of storms?"

"No," she smiled. "I love them, actually. I'll probably sleep like a baby tonight." She sighed softly. "You should go. Don't want to be caught in a downpour tonight." He nodded, and he gave her a soft kiss to the cheek, stubble scratching gently against her skin. She giggled then. "See you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," he promised. He left then, heading down the sidewalk to the motorcycle. He hopped on and turned the key, and as quickly as it turned on, it sputtered and died. Carol heard him curse just before another roll of thunder shook the house. She hurried out toward him, and he laughed, shaking his head then.

"Something wrong?"

"Yeah, I'm a fuckin' idiot. Been drivin' 'round all day, and the fucker's empty, that's what's wrong."

"Oh," Carol said with a grin, biting her lip. "I can give you a ride home if you want." Just then, another roll of thunder and a streak of lightning opened up the skies to a downpour of rain. Carol squealed as the cold rain stung her skin. "Come on! Get inside. We'll wait out the storm." Daryl hopped off the bike and followed her up to the porch as fast as their legs would carry them.

Once under the shelter of the porch, Daryl shook his head like an old dog, spraying Carol in the face with the rainwater that flew off of his long locks. She laughed and wiped her face, running her fingers through her hair.

"We're a mess," she laughed. He snorted, and she collapsed against him in a fit of giggles before they huddled into the house together to wait out the rain.

...

Carol's fingers trembled as she poured his first glass of wine. He brushed his fingers over hers when she handed him the glass.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Mmm," she said with a little smile that crinkled her nose. She moved over to the fire place and added a couple of piece so firewood. Lightning lit up the cloud-blackened sky outside, and she jumped a little.

"Sure you ain't afraid?" he asked. Smiling, Carol turned and moved back toward the couch with a shake of her head. She poured her own glass of wine before settling down on the couch next to him. She took a sip to calm her nerves, and then she took another one. Daryl eyed her as he drank his down in two gulps. Carol snorted over her glass, blushing and taking another drink. "You want some more?"

"Nah, I'm good," he promised. Carol took another drink, yawned and leaned her head back against the couch. "Here. Gimme that." He reached out and took the wine glass from her hand. She frowned for a moment when he put it down on the coffee table. "Gimme your feet."

"What? Why?" But before she could give him a second to respond, she was plopping her bare feet into his lap. An amused grin spread over her lips for a moment, before his warm hands closed around her toes and began to squeeze them. "Oh, God."

"Lemme guess, you ain't had a foot rub since Sophia was a kid?" Carol nudged him in the ribs with her heel, and he coughed. "Hey!"

"I've had foot rubs," he pouted. "Just none as good as this." A sleepy smile tugged at her lips. "I've done lots of things." Daryl's eyebrow quirked up, and Carol felt a tingle run up her spine. "Just because I'm single doesn't mean I've taken vows of celibacy, you know."

"Good to know," he said with a blush, ducking his head slightly. Carol laughed then, and God, it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. He tightened his hold on her feet, rubbing down the arches, using the joints of his thumb to put pressure in just the right places.

"God, how'd you get so good at that?"

"Guess I just have a knack for it," he teased. Thunder rumbled outside, and the sound of rain against the rooftop began to taper off. "Weather's gettin' better. Might be able to walk the bike down to the station for some gas."

"You don't have to, you know. I can drive you down and then back. It's fine, really." He answered her by giving the bottom of her foot a little tickle. She wriggled her foot out of his grasp, accidentally kicking his chin in the process. He let out a cry of surprise, and Carol pulled her foot back, sitting up on the couch with a look of horror on her face. "Oh, shit! Daryl, I'm sorry."

"It's ok," he promised, rubbing his jaw, stretching his mouth open and then shut, rolling his tongue around his mouth to make sure she hadn't knocked anything loose with her small foot. She might've been small, but damn if she wasn't mighty.

"I kicked you in the face!" she exclaimed, putting her hand against his cheek. "Are you ok?"

"M'fine," he replied, catching her hand in his. "Didn't break nothin'."

"You're sure?" She slid closer to him, and she gently took his chin between her thumb and forefinger, turning his head so she could examine the spot. It was red, but if he said he was ok, she figured he must have been. She pouted her lips slightly. "I'm sorry." And then she placed a kiss there. After that, it was kind of a blur, as his hands tugged her into his lap, and her arms wound around his neck. And then they were lying on the couch, making out like a couple of teenagers.

The storm began to rage again, but neither one of them cared. The whole world could have crumbled outside in that moment, and they both would have been two wrapped up in one another to notice.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Carol panted softly when he moved down to kiss the hollow of her throat, sucking there, nipping gently with his teeth. Her skin felt hot and sticky under her clothes, and the fire that crackled in the hearth did nothing to quell the heat that roiled through her veins.

His hands were all over her. He moved them down her breasts, gently kneading each one through the fabric of her top. He moved lower then, stroking her thighs through her pants, getting a whimper out of her in the process. She opened her legs and cradled his hips against her own, and she could feel him through his jeans, and the pressure of his erection against her throbbing core was too much, even though the layers of their clothing. She'd never gotten this close to an orgasm through some over-the-clothes action before.

"Daryl," she panted, gently pushing on his shoulder. He lifted upward, gazing into her eyes. His eyes were dark with desire, lips pink and a bit swollen from sucking at her neck. She brought her hand up to push the hair out of his eyes. "We should slow down." He nodded then, moving to get up and move away, but she tightened her arms around his shoulders. "I didn't say we should stop. Just…slow down." Her eyes twinkled when the grin pulled at Daryl's lips.

The tinge of pink in her cheeks made him blush as well, and he peppered a line of kisses against her cheek, soothing the flushed skin as he moved his hand over her shoulder, tracing the line of her collarbone with his thumb. She shivered under his touch and arched upward to capture his lips with her own.

Her leg came up over his hip, drawing him closer, moaning at the feeling of his erection grinding against her as his hips involuntarily bucked against hers. She bit her lip, crying out softly against his neck.

"Sorry," he panted, leaning up to press a kiss to her lips. For a brief moment, he felt ridiculous and embarrassed for practically dry humping her on her living room couch. But then he saw the smile spread across her face. She _liked_ it.

"Don't have to apologize for _that_ ," she grinned. "It's ok." She kissed him again then, sliding her tongue against his lips, tasting the sweetness of the wine on his lips. He opened up to her, hands ghosting over her hips and up to her shirt, skimming just underneath, fingertips tickling her belly. She giggled then, arching upward, stomach muscles jumping as he moved his hands away, and threaded his fingers through her hair. He tugged her head back gently, angling her face toward him so he could press down and kiss her once again, capturing control as Carol's hand knotted through his long locks, gripping tight at the base of his neck to pull him in closer, deeper.

It was then that the thunder outside rumbled louder than before, and a streak of lightning lit up the house. Suddenly, the lights were out, and the usually unrecognizable hum of electricity was replaced by silence and the crackling of kindling in the fireplace.

Bathed in firelight, Carol peered up at Daryl with wide eyes, an amused grin spreading across her face.

"Gotta go flip the breaker," he murmured. "Where's it at?"

"Basement," Carol said with a little wave toward the kitchen. He made a move to get up and go, but her hands tightened at his shoulders, and she leaned up to kiss him again. He gave in, sighing softly against her mouth. The house shuddered as the wind picked up outside, and Carol shivered underneath him.

"You ok?" he asked, pulling back a little. "You cold?"

"I'm ok," she promised, trembling as she traced her thumb across his lip. "I'm good." She smiled then, and she was just about to pull him back down for a kiss when a loud, crashing thud shook the house and sent them both scrambling up off of the couch.

"The hell was that?" he asked, as Carol moved away from the couch and out into the dining room. She pushed the curtain of the picture window back and gasped at the sight of the big tree beside her house now lying broken against the ground. By some miracle, it hadn't hit her house or the neighbor's, but damn if it hadn't made the biggest mess she'd ever seen a storm create.

"God!" Carol gasped. "I've been on the city to come cut that down for the last three years. It's not on my property."

"Well, it is now," he muttered.

"Perfect," she groaned. With a sigh, she turned toward him.

"I'll go get the breaker. Basement, ya said?"

"Mmm," she said with a nod. Daryl gave her a chaste kiss, and Carol walked to the hallway, fumbling through a drawer until she came out with a flashlight, flooding the light in his direction. He squinted and reached out for the light, and he flashed it back on her to see the pink still high in her cheeks, the redness of her kiss-swollen lips. She was perfect. "What?"

"Nothin'," he said with a grin. She smiled back at him, and he headed into the kitchen to seek out the basement door.

...

Once the electricity was back up and running, Carol's lust-addled mind had cleared enough for her to come to her senses. She'd made them both two big cups of coffee, and they'd sat across from one another in the kitchen, both trying to calm themselves. By the time the storm passed, Carol had offered to take Daryl down to the gas station to fill up a can for his motorcycle. Once he was all set, they'd said a quick goodbye that had led to a long kiss and of him groping her hips in his hands, giving them a good squeeze as her arms tangled around his neck.

When he'd left, Carol had disappeared into the house, where she was now lying on her bed and staring up at the ceiling. Just as she was letting that sleepiness she'd felt earlier wash over her, her phone rang. She grabbed for it, smiling when she saw it was Sophia calling.

"Hi, sweetie," Carol chirped. "How's the honeymoon."

"It's amazing," Sophia swooned. "Mom, it's beautiful here. You're going to have to visit Hawaii sometime."

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," Carol snorted.

"I'm serious! You should make some time for yourself."

"I've been making plenty of time. I promise," Carol laughed.

"So? How was it?"

"How was what?"

"Your date!"

"Oh, that," Carol said breezily. "It was fine."

"Liar."

"Sophia Pel…Grimes! God, I'm never going to get used that. Sorry." Sophia laughed then, and Carol sat up in the bed. "How dare you call your mother a liar?"

"I saw the picture of you on the bike. You had fun. So, what's he like?"

"You should know, Soph. You've met him," Carol pointed out.

"But I didn't date him," Sophia shot back.

"Don't you have a husband to get back to?" Carol teased.

"Is this your way of telling me you want grandkids, because…"

"Oh, stop," Carol choked out.

"Alright," Sophia sighed. "Are you gonna see him again?"

"Yes," Carol said slowly. "Tomorrow."

"And after that?"

"I don't know, Soph. I have to work, and…"

"Mom," Sophia began, "you deserve a vacation. Talk to Dale. I'm sure he can recycle some of your old pieces. It's not like anybody will ever know."

"Gee, thanks," Carol said dryly.

"I didn't mean it like that. I'm just saying, you've been working for a long time. Yeah, you work from home, but you've always been dedicated to answering those questions and researching when you don't have your own answer. You've worked hard, and you've helped a lot of people. You deserve a vacation! And if that vacation just so happens to include a gorgeous lumberjack, then so be it."

"Sophia!" Carol snorted, dissolving into a choked bout of laughter. "Lumberjack?"

"Well, whatever," Sophia replied. "He's gorgeous. Did you kiss him?"

"You don't want to hear about that," Carol pointed out.

"Oh, you're right. I really don't." Sophia had always balked every time Carol would talk about a date. "There are some things I _don't_ need to know."

"Oh, are you sure? I mean, it goes both ways. I could tell you surprised I was when I found your stash of condoms in your bathroom drawer…"

"Mom! Oh my God!"

"Honey, I'm just glad you were being safe," Carol pointed out.

"God," Sophia groaned. "Please don't ever talk about my condoms again. Ok?"

"I promise," Carol laughed.

"Just for the record, and this stays between us, and if anybody gets word of this, ever, I'll deny the whole thing..."

"What?" Carol asked.

"If you _need_ the condoms, help yourself."

"Sophia!"

"What?! You're the one that brought them up, Mama!"

"God," Carol laughed. "Go out there. Kiss your husband. And please, let's never talk about this again."

"Deal," Sophia laughed. "But seriously, mom, do you like him?"

"I do," Carol murmured. "I really do."

"Good," Sophia said softly. "I'm glad you had a good day. Love you, Mama."

"I love you too, sweetheart." They said their goodbyes, and when Carol hung up, she eyed her phone, searching through the contacts for Dale's number. She chewed her lip, considering her options before dialing his number.

"Hello?"

"Dale? It's Carol."

"Of course it's Carol. Your name popped up on my phone. I might not be completely hip with the technology, but I know that much." Carol laughed then. "Everything alright?"

"Great," Carol said slowly. "Some weather we're having."

"You didn't call me to talk about the weather. What's on your mind?"

"Well," Carol began, "I was just thinking about taking a little vacation."

"A what? What was that word? Vacation? Carol Peletier wants a vacation?!"

"Oh, shut up, Dale."

"Carol, you've been consistent with your deadlines since you started working for me. I've still got a few unpublished pieces of yours sitting in my inbox. I've got enough material that you could take a month off if you wanted."

"I don't think I'll need that long," she pointed out. "Just a few days. A week, maybe."

"Carol, do you have any idea how many thank you notes I have sitting in the bag ready to mail out to you right now? Your readers love you, and your job is safe. In fact, I've thought about giving you more page space, but that's something we can talk about _after_ you've had your much-deserved vacation."

"As bosses go, you know, you're pretty great, Dale Horvath."

"Yeah, yeah, don't let it get around. I have a reputation to uphold, you know."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Your vacation's long overdue. Just enjoy it!"

"I will. I'll call you as soon as I get back."

"Going anywhere special?"

"I haven't decided," she admitted. "But I'm going." She hung up, and she smiled as she lay back against the mattress. Her heart was full, and she felt like a world of endless possibilities had opened up at her feet. She felt happy, strangely content. For the first time in her life, the only person she had to worry about looking after was herself, and this last day with Daryl had given her just a glimpse of freedom and adventure, and she craved it more now than ever. And she craved him. She wasn't proud that he'd had that kind of effect on her, but she couldn't control the way her body responded, the way her heart ached for more of his company.

And just as she rolled onto her side and relaxed against the pillow, her phone rang, and when she checked to see who was calling, a smile spread across her face. Daryl She closed her eyes and held the phone up to her ear as the smile spread, and her heart began to flutter in her chest.

"Hey, you."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Carol was throwing things into a suitcase on the couch when the doorbell rang. She jumped at the sound despite the fact that she'd been expecting him for the last twenty minutes.

"It's open!" she called. The doorknob rattled before the door popped open, and Daryl came walking in. He immediately noticed the suitcase and leaned back against the door after he closed it.

"I scare ya off that fast?" he teased.

"What?" she asked, looking up with a shirt in one hand and a bra in the other. She quickly realized what she was holding and stuffed it into the suitcase. "Oh! No. Um, I'm packing."

"I can see that. Where ya goin'?"

"Well," she said thoughtfully, straightening and pursing her lips, "I hadn't thought that far ahead yet." She gave him a smile and moved over to kiss his cheek. He didn't let her get away that easily. When she moved to pull back, he tugged at her waist and brought her closer. She smiled when he pressed his lips against hers, and she moved her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes to deepen the kiss.

"Hi," he chuckled.

"Hi," she said with a sheepish grin.

"What brought this on?"

"I'm getting cabin fever, I think," she offered with a little laugh, as his hand moved down her back, resting just above her ass. "I don't know. It's silly."

"Try me," he offered, rubbing that spot just above her ass. A flush of heat rushed up her tingling spine.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I guess since getting on that bike with you, I just really want to get out there and see what's out there."

"Ain't nothin' silly 'bout that," he replied. "You done your job, raised your girl up, and now she's out there and married. Get out there, do somethin' for yourself."

"You sound like Sophia, now," she laughed. "I'm going. I'm doing." She kissed him again. "I just haven't figured out where I'm going. But I did call my boss, and he practically handed me an extended vacation. He _wanted_ me to go. I'm not sure how I feel about that, to be honest. Maybe I should be worried."

"Nah," he replied. He let her go then. "Well, you could go campin', 'course that's not so much fun when ya go alone. Or you could go on down to the Florida coast, get your feet in the ocean."

"Mmm, I thought about that," she offered.

"Well, when you leavin'?"

"Not until tomorrow," she replied. "I didn't forget our date, I promise." Daryl chuckled then, and he sat down on the couch, watching as she loaded things into the suitcase.

"For somebody who don't know where she's goin', you sure got a lot of clothes picked out." He snatched one item from the sofa cushion, holding it up. It was a tiny slip of a bikini bottom, and he held it up. "Don't wanna forget this. Might get kinda chilly out there without it." Carol's face turned a deep shade of red, and she snatched the garment from his hand.

"Yeah, keep dreaming," she snorted.

"I will," he said with a chuckle, getting a laugh out of her. Carol eyed him for a moment before she closed her suitcase and sat down next to him on the couch. "Whaddya wanna do today?"

"Mmm," she pondered, leaning back against the seat, "surprise me."

"Well, what time are ya plannin' on leavin' tomorrow? Don't wanna keep you out too late."

"I don't know," she said with a smile. "I'm not in any rush." She bit her lip then, and to his surprise, she reached out, yanking on his shirt, pulling him down over her. He groaned against her mouth and crawled over her, kissing her back hungrily.

"This what you wanna do?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow when he pulled back to look at her. She smiled then, her eyes twinkling. She tucked her hands under his shirt, brushing them over his stomach. It had been too damned long since she'd gotten intimate with a man, and it had been all she could do to sleep and not think about the taste of his mouth or the feeling of his erection straining against her.

"Maybe," she panted, sucking his bottom lip between her teeth. His hand was skimming under her shirt then, fingers tickling over her stomach. She gasped at the sensation, and then she arched back a little. "Daryl…" His hands skimmed up her stomach and over the rounded globe of her breast, gently running the pad of his thumb across her peaked nipple that was covered in the lacy fabric of her bra.

Her hips bucked then, and she felt a flood of heat surge through her body. Her skin tingled. She couldn't' feel her toes, and she was pretty sure her heart was about to beat out of her chest.

She wasn't even aware that her phone was ringing, until Daryl pulled back, face red, chuckling and trying to keep a straight face.

"What?" she asked, panting as she sat up a little, leaning back on her elbows.

"You're vibratin'."

"What?" Her face flushed red.

"And your ass is glowin'." Carol felt the vibration against her backside then, and she covered her face with her hands, collapsing onto the couch in mortification. Daryl reached behind her, fishing her phone out of her back pocket. He showed her the screen where Sophia's picture was lit up with the phone number. She reached for it then. He handed it to her, and she gave him a pitiful look before mouthing a silent thank you.

"Hello?"

"Mama?"

"Sophia. Everything ok?" Daryl crawled off of Carol, sitting back against the seat, unceremoniously adjusting the front of his pants and crossing his legs. There was still no hiding that erection. Carol gave him an apologetic look as she sat up.

"I'm fine, Mama. Just checking in. What're you doing?"

"Oh, nothing much. Packing," Carol replied. She ran her fingers through her hair, squirming as Daryl reached over and put his hand on her knee. She shot him a look, but he jus t grinned at her.

"Oh, great! Where'd you decide to go?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"Is Daryl going with you?"

"What? No. I don't…why would you think that?"

"Well, did you ask him?"

"Sophia, I…" She glanced at Daryl, who just happened to perk up at Carol's awkward stammering.

"Well? Did you?"

"Sophia, I have to go. You and Carl are ok?"

"Oh, he's there, isn't he?"

"Yes," Carol muttered.

"Oh. Oh….oh! Am I interrupting? God, no, don't answer that. Ok, I'm sorry. I'm going. Love you, Mama."

"Love you," Carol replied, feeling a bit defeated. The line went dead, and she put the phone down.

"What was that about?" Daryl asked, watching as Carol's red face began to return to a somewhat normal color.

"Just my daughter making sure I'm having a good time," Carol said quietly.

"Are ya?" he asked.

"Yes," she said with a little smile. "I'm having a lot of fun, and I'm not…altogether sure what that means right now." Daryl nodded.

"I get that," he murmured. "Probably a lot to adjust to with her bein' gone."

"Daryl," she said quietly, placing her hand on his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin through the fabric of his shirt. It was amazing, really, how such a simple touch could light a fire inside of her, how her mouth could water, her eyes could fix on his and how she could feel her pulse begin to race. And damn it, why did he have to smell so good?

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she blushed. "Nothing. I'm good. Are you good? I'm thirsty." She started to scramble up off the couch, but Daryl caught her wrist gently in his hand.

"Talk to me."

"I don't know how to talk to you," she admitted. "We just met. And you're a great kisser. And you're funny and sweet. But I don't really know you. And I want to know you. I like you. And it kind of scares me how powerful this…this thing is. Whatever this is." She was beginning to talk faster, and Daryl quickly moved his hands to her shoulders, as she gestured emphatically at the end of her speech. Daryl smiled a little, and he met her gaze.

"I like you, too," he murmured. The tips of his ears turned red. "Saw you across the room at Soph's wedding, and I thought you were beautiful. You looked a little scared. A little sad. And I thought I'd talk to you. M'glad I did." He watched the smile warm her face again. "Don't know much 'bout how to do all this, but I like this thing. Whatever this is." Her smile brightened when she realized he was using her words. "I wanna get to know you. Want you to figure out how you can talk to me. And I wanna figure out how to talk to you. I like talkin' to you. Don't want you to feel pressure. Don't want ya to feel like the only thing I want is sex…and I do want it. I mean…don't get me wrong." He was stammering now, and the smile on Carol's face spread into a full-on grin, and she began to laugh. "Hey, m'tryin' to be romantic here."

"I know," she laughed. "And I'm so glad I make you as nervous as you make me." She took a deep breath. "Come away with me."

"What?"

"Let's just do it. I'm feeling adventurous, and maybe next week I won't be. But right now, I am, and I want to do this, and I want you to come with me. Will you? I mean…can you? With your job? God, this is embarrassing." She bit her lip, and she watched as he tried to process her ramblings. And then he smiled.

"Let's do it," he said with a nod. "Let's go."

"You're sure?"

"The guys at the garage can cover things for a week. Place won't fall apart without me." A beat. "Well, it might, but I ain't taken a vacation in years."

"You really want to do this?"

"Hey, you're the one askin' me, remember?" he asked, eyebrow s raised. Carol laughed then, pulling her arms around his neck and kissing him, the fluttering of her heart overpowering the rapid twisting and rolling of her stomach as her nerves began to ease.

"OK," she breathed, kissing him once more. "Let's do it."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Twenty-four hours ago, Carol probably would not have believed someone if they'd told her that on her second date with Daryl Dixon, she'd be halfway through the state of Florida in the cab of his pickup. She probably would have told them they were crazy. But there she was, bustling down a back road highway that seemed to stretch on and on for miles with Daryl at her side. The air was damp and clung to her skin. She was halfway across the seat, snuggled up against Daryl. His arm was around her shoulders, and she felt like a teenager again.

They'd stopped along the highway at a little diner for supper. Daryl had had one beer, and they'd sat for a good hour or so just talking and enjoying one another. His hand had brushed her knee under the table, and that had been about as handsy as he'd gotten with her, though it left her yearning for more.

She'd never been the type to fall so hard for somebody and want to just fall right into bed with them, but damn it if she wasn't already sliding down that slippery slope, full speed ahead. She knew it was only a matter of time. What with the heavy make out session the previous night and earlier that day, it was obvious that they both craved one another. Now, they were on vacation together, inhibitions tossed into the wind, nothing stopping them from just throwing themselves into this thing without a safety net. It was scary and exciting at the same time, and Carol had never felt more alive.

"Where we goin'?" Daryl asked, tightening his arm around her shoulders. She pulled her head up from the spot on his shoulder where it had been resting, and she sighed softly. "You wanna keep drivin', or you wanna stop for the night?"

"Are you tired? I can drive a while."

"M'alright," he promised. "Can drive on for miles." He yawned then, and Carol grinned, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Yeah, you're not tired at all," she teased. He squeezed her shoulder before moving his arm behind her back, holding her around the middle. She smiled, snuggling against his side. She wanted to close her eyes and drift off, but she enjoyed this too much. She enjoyed this feeling of his arm around her, hand lightly grazing over her stomach and side, not tickling her so much as stirring something deep inside of her that seemed to rear its head every time he touched her like that.

She turned her attention back toward the road, where somewhere far up in the distance a car was heading their way. She loved that they weren't on the busy interstate and that they could take their time and just go where the road took them without having to worry about too much traffic.

She saw the neon glow reading MOTEL and VACANCIES up ahead, and she yawned.

"Let's stop," Daryl offered. "Get you outta this truck for a while."

"I'm ok," she promised.

"C'mon. Least we can get a few hours sleep, huh? Maybe they got two rooms."

"We can share," she offered. A beat. "I mean, most rooms have two beds, right?"

Carol smiled a little and scooted to her side of the truck as Daryl pulled into the parking lot of the little Motel. It looked like it was well kept with a freshly cut lawn and shrubs that were trimmed. They hopped out of the truck and grabbed their luggage out of the truck bed. Carol's eyes met his when their fingers brushed each other's, and he was leaning in, kissing her softly. She sighed, leaning back against the truck as his hands wandered over her hips and waist. The sun was setting, and the blue haze around them was thick was heat, and not just from the humidity.

When Daryl finally pulled back, Carol swept her hand up by his face, pushing his hair back. She trembled, her knees felt weak, and she leaned forward once again, pressing her lips to his. When she felt his warm breath against her face, she leaned her forehead against his. It was too much, and she knew that if they didn't take a breather, they just might end up doing some pretty indecent things in the bed of his truck.

"Separate rooms. Definitely," she panted, lips curling up in a wicked grin. He smirked then, running his hand up her thigh before tucking his thumbs into the belt loops of her pants, pulling her closer. He kissed her again and then pulled back, knowing that if he kept up much longer, he'd be fully hard. There would be no rest for him after that.

"Probably a good idea," he chuckled, kissing the side of her head. "C'mon."

Carol laced her fingers through his, and they walked up to the motel office, where a pleasant looking woman sat chewing loudly on some bubble gum. She peered up over her Sudoku and gave them that 'I know what you're here for' look. Carol blushed.

The young woman's nametag read Tara, and under the job description of night manager, she'd crossed it out with permanent marker and written _Working Stiff._

"Need a room?" she asked, spitting her gum out into a napkin.

"Two rooms," Daryl replied. Tara's eyes darted from Carol to Daryl and then back to Carol.

"Really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, really," Daryl grumbled. "What's it to you, anyhow?"

"Well, I just saw you two playing tonsil hockey in the parking lot, so I assumed just, you know, one room."

"Why don't ya just mind yer own business?" he replied. Tara raised her eyebrows.

"Let me see what I've got." She looked up at the wall of keys. "Oops, looks like we just have one room."

"You jokin'?" Daryl asked, peeking outside. "There's two damned cars here, 'sides mine."

"Don't know what to tell you, dude. We've got one. Take it or leave it."

"Does it have two beds?" Carol asked, leaning over the counter.

"Nope. All our rooms have one bed."

"You wanna move on down the road, see what's next?" Daryl asked.

"Dude, the closet hotel is forty miles away," Tara pointed out. "Unless you count Moe's Sleep Shack, where you're lucky if you don't wake up with your car stolen, if you know what I mean."

"Shit," Daryl muttered. "You can have the room. I can sleep in the truck."

"Don't be ridiculous," Carol replied. She turned back to Tara. "We'll take it." She turned back to Daryl. "Right?"

"Right," he muttered, rubbing his hand over his face. This was going to be a long night.

"That'll be $45.98." Daryl handed Tara a wad of cash, and she promptly gave him his change and handed the key over. "Need a wakeup call?"

"Uh, yeah," he said with a nod, looking at Carol.

"Seven thirty, please," Carol said with a warm smile.

"You got it." Tara gave them a knowing smile and watched them walk away. She smirked to herself as they walked past several empty, two-bed rooms on the way to what management lovingly called the honeymoon suite. "Sweet dreams, lovebirds." She laughed to herself, proud of a job well done and went back to her Sudoku puzzle without a care in the world.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

They'd exchanged very few words between themselves when they'd gotten to their room. He'd catch her gaze once in a while, noticing the way she was looking at him uncertainly, as if she had a question she just couldn't figure out how to ask. And he could hear her sigh softly from time to time as she pulled out clothes to lay out for after her shower.

Had he done the wrong thing? Last night, she'd started rambling about not knowing him that well, and then out of nowhere, she'd asked him to go on vacation with her. He was a little confused, but all day, she'd been snuggled up against him in that truck. The term 'mixed signals' was an understatement. He wanted her, undoubtedly. And he knew that she wanted him too, but perhaps the best thing to have done would have been to have kept driving. Staying in a hotel room with her, not knowing if he should touch her or kiss her or if he should leave her alone was going to drive him absolutely fucking crazy.

Daryl had let Carol shower first, and when she'd come out of the bathroom smelling like cranberries, hair wet and sticking up in every different direction as water beaded down her neck and down into the collar of her pink sleep shirt, he thought he might just fucking die. She wasn't wearing a bra, but she crossed her arms across her chest in a way that told him she was self-conscious about it and maybe even considering running back in to put it on. Her gray sleep pants hung at her hips, revealing a slip of flesh on her stomach, and God, his mouth watered, and all he wanted to do was find out if she'd taste like cranberries, too.

When it was his turn in the shower, he hadn't been able to get her out of his thoughts, and it wasn't long before he was sporting a full erection and leaning against the shower wall with one hand while the other gripped the safety bar in an effort to avoid touching himself.

He tried thinking of the least sexy images imaginable, and while it partially worked, he was still a little heated, and his pulse was still jumping under his skin, blood scoring his veins like molten lava. And then he thought about her again, thought about the way her face was flushed as she stepped out of the bathroom, puffs of steam following after her, remnants from her hot shower. And then there it was, an image of her standing naked, washing herself, hand sliding all over her body, lathering herself up. And fuck, he was hard again.

He slid his hand around the base of his cock and gave it a little tug. Panting, he lifted his face into the hot stream of water. With a groan, he began to pump his hand over his cock, applying just enough pressure that he could trick his dick into thinking it was getting some real action. He closed his eyes, gripping the safety rail and pressing his forehead against the shower wall. He bit his lip hard, muffling the groans that caught in the back of his throat as he pumped his cock faster in his hand.

Images of her face flashed through his head, and then his senses were on overdrive. The sound of her laugh, the feel of her skin under his fingertips, the taste of her mouth as he sucked on her tongue, the vision of her sparkling blue eyes and the pink in her cheeks after they kissed.

He felt dizzy, head swimming as he gasped for breath. It didn't take long before he was spilling over his hand, shooting thick ropes of cum onto the shower floor. It quickly washed down the drain, and he sloshed the water around with his foot until no trace remained.

He groaned, then, cutting of the water, feeling slightly ashamed that he'd resorted to jerking off in the shower to try and handle the fact that he was going to be spending the night in a room alone with her, all while trying to avoid sex. He wanted it. She wanted it. But at the same time, this was so new that he didn't want her to feel like all he was in it for was sex. Maybe she felt the same way. He wanted so much more with her, and the fact that they were in the middle of nowhere together on their second date spoke volumes about trust, but sex was something that he'd never taken that seriously in the past. But with her? With her, it was something he wanted to savor, wanted to make good for her, and he wanted to know she had no doubts about it either. It was going to happen, and it was just a matter of when. If they gave in tonight, what did that mean for tomorrow?

The fact of the matter was, he'd never met anybody like Carol, and from the moment he'd met her, he'd been taken by her. He hadn't been able to get her out of his head since he'd seen her sitting at that bar, and even then, it had taken him several minutes to build up the courage to speak to her. Once he'd gotten to talking to her, he'd felt like he was talking to an old friend, and that was a big achievement for a guy who had pretty much been shy his entire life. Still, she brought out something in him that made him feel more confident, more alive, and it was one of the best feelings he had ever felt in his life. He didn't feel like just some mechanic when he was with her. He felt happy, a little playful, maybe even a little romantic. And he could make her smile, and God, that smile was worth it all.

"You ok in there?" He realized he'd been standing in there for quite some time without the water on. She gently pecked on the door.

"Uh, fine," he murmured. "I'll be out in a minute." He quickly opened the shower door and grabbed a towel to dry himself off with. He ran his fingers through his dripping hair before running the towel over it, catching the stray droplets.

When he walked out of the bathroom, she was lying back against the headboard of the bed, but she quickly sat up, turning to swing her legs over the side, as if she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't. Her eyes were on him, and he noticed how her gaze traveled down his bare chest and stomach and to the lines of his hips that the pants hung off of.

He saw the flush in her cheeks, and he quickly reached into his pack for a white t-shirt. He pulled it over his head then, but he could still feel her eyes on him.

"Best get some sleep. Got a lot of drivin' tomorrow."

"We still don't know where we're going," she reminded him with a smile, as he turned toward the bed. Her hands were resting on either side of her, and he could see the way her nipples poked at the fabric of her shirt. Fuck, she wasn't going to make this easy.

Daryl moved over to sit down on the other side of the bed. He lay back against the pillow, folding his arms behind his head. Carol turned to peek over her shoulder at him.

"Of course, we don't necessarily have to have a destination."

"Whaddya mean?"

"We could just keep driving until we're ready to come home. Just experience what's out there for what it is, you know?" She smiled then, turning to lay back against the pillow next to his. She rested her head back and turned to look at him. She watched his Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed. He closed his eyes, but he looked so tense. "Daryl?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad you're here," she murmured. She turned her body to face him, and his eyes flew open.

"Me too," he said quickly. Carol moved her hand up to place against his chest, and he sucked in a sharp breath. She drew back like she'd been burned.

"Sorry," she said softly.

"S'alright," he assured her. "Just…you keep touchin' me, and I ain't sure I'm gonna want ya to stop." Carol smiled then, blushing, and she chewed her lip for a second.

"Would that be a bad thing?" she asked, big blue eyes wide, questioning. He shivered under her gaze. "I mean, I like you."

"I like you, too," he said slowly. "Just thought we…I mean, it's…I thought you'd wanna wait." His gaze followed her as she sat up on the bed. He sat up too, facing her. "Just last night you were frettin' 'bout how we barely know each other and how it scared ya how strong this thing between us is."

"Yeah," she said with a little smile. "And we both agreed we want more."

"So you're sayin'…you wanna have sex," he realized, eyeing her.

"Well, I wouldn't be opposed to it," she laughed. "I just thought you were being, I don't know, polite? Is that the right word? I know what you said last night, that you want more, and not just sex, and that's ok. This is new, and it's fun. It's exciting." She reached out, brushing her hand over his. "And we can still be new and have fun and be excited about it all, and we can have sex, because if we're going to date, I want to know that sex is on the table."

"Don't see no table in here," he said, face flushing red as he grinned that sexy grin she loved so much.

"Shut up," she laughed. "You know what I mean."

"Thought you wanted to wait. All that talk about separate rooms."

"If I remember right," she said, leaning forward then, lips a breath away from his, "that was your idea. I suggested a room with two beds, because you were talking about sleeping in totally different rooms. I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I didn't want to be too…bold. Truth is, I like the way I feel when you touch me." Her gaze was on his lips now, and she watched his tongue dart out to wet them. "Nobody's made me feel like that in a long time. And it's been…well, it's been a _very_ long time." She leaned in then, sucking his lower lip between her own, running her tongue against his. He groaned against her mouth, pulling his hands up, stroking down her neck and shoulders. She pulled back then, biting her lip, hiding a little smile.

"So you're sayin' we're datin'?" he asked, mind slowly catching up to speed with the whirlwind that had been this evening. She smiled then, moving her hand down his chest, grazing over the waistband of his sweats. His hips jerked instinctively, and she chewed her lip. She'd never been this brazen before, never this confident. But he brought something out in her, something that frightened her a little bit. But her entire body felt like it was singing with electricity, every nerve humming and vibrating. It was a good feeling, and the way he was looking at her in that moment made it even better. She hadn't felt this desired, and she hadn't craved anybody like this for as long as she could remember.

"I think we are," she said with a throaty chuckle. The way her breasts bounced under her shirt caught his attention. She gently chucked his chin with her thumb and forefinger, directing his gaze back to her eyes. "Were you planning on asking me out again? After this vacation?"

"Sure I was," he murmured, mind clouding with possibilities and his dick stirred in his pants.

"Then, Daryl, I think it's safe to say that we're dating." She brought her hand to his cheek, rubbing her thumb gently across his lips. He kissed the pad of her thumb then, and she smiled. And her smile was contagious. He grinned then, reaching out and grabbing onto her hips, flipping her back against the mattress. She squealed as he crawled over her, all lips and tongue against her neck and throat.

And just as quickly as he'd started, he stopped.

"Shit."

"What's wrong?" she asked, moving her hand down his chest and over his stomach.

"Didn't bring nothin'." He saw the smile leave her face then, and he sighed. _I blew it. God damn it, you go on a vacation with a woman, ya bring a box of rubbers. The fuck is wrong with me?_

"What?"

"Don't have a condom," he muttered. "Didn't want ya to think I assumed somethin' was gonna happen. Feel like a fuckin' goody-two-shoes boy scout right now, 'cept boy scouts are always prepared." Carol laughed then, covering her eyes with her hands as her face turned red. Daryl stared down at her, perplexed, waiting for her to sober. When she took her hands away, she pouted her lips and shook her head.

"You're so cute," she laughed. His face flushed red, and she brought her hands up, running them down his shoulders and arms. "It's ok. We don't have to do anything tonight." When he shifted his hips, however, she could feel his arousal against her thigh, and good lord, her core began to throb with aching desire. She swallowed hard. "Daryl?"

"Huh?" he asked, burying his face against her neck, trying to hide his own embarrassment.

"When was the last time for you?"

"Last time? Ya mean sex?"

"Mmm."

"Dunno. Been a while. Used a condom. Don't never go without a condom. 'Cept tonight, I guess." Carol snorted at that. "M'clean if that's what you're askin'."

"So am I," she said with a nod. "It's been a while, but I'm clean." She smiled a little. "But I'm not on the pill, and I'm still…I still can…" She fumbled over the words. "I just…there are other ways." Daryl peered down into her eyes then, and his pupils went dark with desire. She smiled up at him, pushing the hair out of his face for what felt like the millionth time. "If you know what I mean." As he began to kiss his way down her throat, she closed her eyes, smiling as she threaded her fingers into his hair. Oh, he knew what she meant. He understood perfectly.

His hand was between her knees, edging them apart so he could settle between them. She obliged, opening her legs to him, gasping softly as his hands pushed up her shirt and he placed a kiss to her stomach. She arched her back, stomach muscles jumping as he tasted her skin.

One bold hand moved up to cup her breast, small but perfect, nipple pebbling under his touch. She squirmed then, taking her own initiative to tug the shirt over her head. Her chest flushed pink when she saw him staring, but clearly he liked what he saw, as he moved up to trail kisses down from the hollow of her throat to the valley between her breasts. His hand continued kneading one breast as he sucked the other one into his mouth. Carol hissed out a cry of pleasure as his teeth gently scraped over the puckered flesh.

A fresh sheen of sweat broke out over her body, and she trembled as he sucked and kneaded her, working her into the beginnings of a frenzy. Her hands clawed at his back, nails raking over the muscular plane, tugging his shirt up until he was off of him and joining her shirt on the floor. She put a little pressure on his shoulders, easing him back until she was on top of him, straddling his hips.

"Your turn," she whispered, leaning down to suck at his neck, teeth gently scraping the skin as she worked her way down his chest and to one of his nipples. She took it between her teeth, biting gently but with enough force to get his attention.

"Fuck, Carol," he growled out, moving his fingers into her hair, tugging gently. She smiled devilishly then, bringing her hand down his stomach, slipping it into the waistband of his pants. His eyes flew open when her fingers curled around his dick. The look of surprise and awe on her face when she felt the thickness against her fingertips had him twitching in her hand. She smiled then, pressing a kiss to the middle of his stomach.

"Lucky me," she whispered, giving him a little stroke before letting go of him and removing her hand from his pants. With a growl, he tugged her down on him, hands sliding over her back as he attacked he her neck, suckling hungrily, teeth gently biting down on her shoulder as she wriggled in his arms. All that friction had his dick begging for some action, and he groaned in frustration, hand sliding down over her ass. Carol smiled then, taking his wrist and moving is hand down her stomach and to her own pants. For a moment, he blinked, seeing stars as he realized exactly what she wanted. "Touch me, Daryl."

He slipped his hand inside, and fuck all if she wasn't wearing any panties. His fingers brushed the soft curls there, glistening with her slick arousal already. She leaned down, kissing him as she grinded against his hand, crying out as his thumb flicked over her clit. He felt a proud twitch in his cock for finding her clit so fast when going in blind, and he grew bolder, parting her folds and slipping two fingers inside.

"Oh, fuck, Daryl!" she cried out, muscles clamping down around his digits so hard he could feel her throbbing against him. She was so tight, and all he wanted was to bury himself in her to the hilt, until she cried his name, until he forgot his own.

The flood of warmth that coated his hand had him awestruck. She was panting, face flushed red, breathing erratically when she began to push his hands away. He realized what had happened and how she was too sensitive now, and he tugged his hand out. She collapsed against him for a moment, pressing soft, lazy kisses to his chest. Never in her life had she come that quickly like _that_ before. But he was under her skin now, in her veins, and all she wanted was more of his touch. But for the moment, she was hypersensitive and needed a moment to come down from that high.

She quickly wriggled out of her pants, and he caught a glimpse of her damp curls for the first time. He'd never really gotten the knack for going down on a woman before, but damn it if she didn't make him want to try. But before he even knew what was happening, she was tugging his pants down his hips, pulling his cock out and giving him a few tugs, her eyes widening in approval at the sight of him for the first time, long and thick, bigger than she was sure she could handle. But she leaned down then, pressing a kiss to the tip, gently running her tongue around the head.

"Christ," he grunted out, bucking his hips upward. His head slammed back against the headboard, and Carol looked up at him in surprise. "Ow, damn it." Carol snorted.

"You ok?"

"Don't stop," he grunted, hips bucking again. She smiled then, that perfect, pearly white smile that in no way hid the wicked gleam in her eyes. She began to stroke him then, one hand kneading his thigh at the same time. He sucked his lip, biting hard as Carol's thumb swirled around the tip before she leaned forward, popping it just past her lips. "Goddammit, fuck." He grunted in approval, and Carol slowly took him further into her mouth, tongue pressing against the underside of his dick where a prominent vein throbbed at the pressure. She moaned softly, and his head went slamming back against the pillow. She began to moved her hand as she took him further into her mouth, as far as she comfortably could, and she pulled back, releasing him with a soft pop. He groaned, and his eyes rolled back when her hand moved to his balls, giving them a little squeeze.

"Christ, you're killin' me," he groaned. She said nothing, only repeated her actions, taking him in and releasing him, teasing the tip of her tongue and lips, getting him good and wound up.

She'd never liked this. Never. Not with Ed, because he made it all about him and never wanted to reciprocate. And she'd had a couple of other partners since Ed, but she'd never quite enjoyed it, because they'd expected it every time. She liked to be the one to initiate it, and she didn't like to feel like it was something expected. If she was going to do something like this for her partner, she wanted to be equally game for it. She didn't want it to feel like a chore, and with Daryl, it was anything but that. The way his chest heaved and his Adam's apple bobbed, the way his hands clenched the sheets and his hips bucked at her movements was all she needed to know. He loved this, and she loved the way he responded to her. She felt powerful, and at the same time, she felt needed, desired.

"Carol," he groaned in warning, as she took him further into her mouth again. She looked up at him, not certain what exactly she wanted in that moment, but it was too late, and he let go. Carol didn't move. Instead, she found herself swallowing every last drop. When he stilled and she crawled up to lay beside him, she watched the way he took in deep, gasping breaths and tried to calm himself down. She waited patiently, gently stroking his chest, and when he finally turned and opened his eyes, he was blushing.

"M'sorry. Should've warned ya."

"Don't apologize for that," she said with a grin. "It was…it was…" She blushed a little. How exactly did she tell him she _really_ liked it without embarrassing herself completely.

"Amazing," he finished for her. "You're amazing."

"Maybe a little," she said with a giggle. He laughed then, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. Then suddenly he was on her, crawling over her, kissing his way down her neck. "D-Daryl? What are you doing?" She felt her temperature begin to rise and her heart quicken as he began kissing his way down her stomach, settling between her legs. _Oh._

He looked up at her and grinned, fingers digging into her hips as he urged her legs apart.

"Your turn."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

To say she hadn't fantasized about it would have been a lie. To say she hadn't craved it since the first time she felt his tongue brush across her lips and delve into her mouth would have been a bigger lie. So as she lay back against the mattress, legs spread before him, feet pressed flat against the bed as he spread her open with his fingers and fucked her with his tongue, the only thing she could think was how she'd never felt so much pleasure before.

One of her hands was softly caressing her own breast, rolling the nipple between her fingers, putting just enough pressure there to send a shockwave to her core. And he was lapping up every bit of her arousal, tongue and lips working together to stimulate her, fingers dipping into her, stroking her. He avoided her clit, and she knew he was doing it for a reason, but it was driving her crazy.

"Daryl," she whimpered, as he circled his tongue teasingly around the little bud before abandoning it. "Fuck!" She arched back, eyes screwing shut as he pushed three fingers inside of her, stretching her, making it hurt just a little but not too much. She pumped her hips, meeting his strokes with eager thrusts.

He was inexperienced, it was obvious, but hell, so was she. Ed hadn't liked to go down on her, and her other sexual partners had never quite known what they were going for, one trying to whole spell-the-alphabet trick, others just going for the slopping sucking and licking before lightly prodding at her clit with a blunted tongue. She'd usually been able to reach orgasm that way, but it usually took a long time.

Daryl had had his face between her legs for all of two or three minutes, and she was right there, just on the verge, and what he lacked in experience he made up for in enthusiasm. She moaned softly, biting her lip as a whimper escaped. And then one of his hands was sliding up her stomach, caressing her there, moving upward to fondle her breast. He slid a thumb over her peaked nipple, and she closed her hand over his.

"Right there," she panted, guiding him as he caressed her. And then her other hand moved down to her clit, but he quickly swiped it away. "Please. Daryl." She was begging now, panting as a sheen of sweat broke out all over her body. "Please…"

"Wanna make you feel good," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the inside of her thigh. His hand moved then, and he began to circle her clit gently, putting a little bit more pressure against it with each stroke. She was crying out now, beating her fist against the mattress.

"Oh God. Daryl. Right there. Don't stop." But he did stop just long enough to replace his fingers with his mouth, and he was sucking her then, sucking the little bud between his lips, tongue lapping at her, fingers spreading her, stroking her, filling her. And without warning, she let out a loud, loud cry, and a small gush of warm, sticky fluid coated his lips. He lapped up every bit.

He rested his chin against her stomach, staying there between her legs, watching the way her chest rose and fall, jerking slightly as she trembled.

"You ok?" he finally asked. She laughed then, covering her face with her hands.

"God," she breathed, "that was…" Her fingers moved to stroke through his hair. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he snorted, and then they both laughed.

"I mean, I just…I haven't felt like this in a long time."

"Me neither," he admitted, crawling up her body, pressing kisses as he moved. He settled his hips against hers, dick hard against her thigh, and they both ached for more. "You're so beautiful." His hand moved over her belly, smooth but painted with faded stretch marks from pregnancy. She'd grown to love them, though Ed had never looked at her the same after having Sophia, and he'd shied away from intimacy with her a lot after that.

"You don't have to say that," she murmured.

"Said it 'cause it's true." He pressed a kiss to her throat. She smiled then, closing her eyes as he moved to kiss her lips, sliding his tongue between her lips. She moaned then, tasting herself on his tongue, sighing as his hands roved over her shoulders and arms. She wanted so much more, almost enough that she was willing to risk forgetting about a condom just to be with him. Almost. She knew it was probably a terrible idea. They would have to wait. After all, where in the hell were they going to find condoms in the middle of the night along a lonely old highway? Then an idea struck her. She pushed at his shoulders.

"You tryin' to get rid'a me already?"

"No," she laughed. "I just thought of something. I need clothes."

"No ya don't. Come back here." He tugged at her, and she laughed, falling over him.

"Stop it," she giggled, as he sucked her breast into his mouth, rolling his tongue around her nipple. "Oh, God. Ok, don't st—oh, fuck. Mmm, don't stop." And then she became increasingly aware of his cock straining against her hip. "Oh, God. Ok. Ok, you have to stop." She pushed him back gently and gave him a sheepish smile.

"S'wrong?"

"I have an idea. And I need clothes. You just…you don't go anywhere, ok?"

"Wasn't plannin' on it," he murmured. She saw the way his fingers flexed instinctively toward his cock, and her gaze went there. She leaned in, lips a breath away from his, giving his hand a little pat, steering it away from its intended destination.

"Don't touch," she whispered. She saw him shudder then, and she pressed her lips sweetly against his.

She made quick work of throwing on his white t-shirt and her sleep pants, and she toed her shoes on, all the while keeping an eye on him as he laid back against the mattress, cock flagging at the thought of her leaving. She pouted her lips at him a little. "I'll be back," she promised, reaching into her purse and tugging out a few dollar bills.

"Better hurry," he growled out. She smiled then, turning and slipping out of the room. She rushed down the sidewalk and toward the sign that read ICE MACHINE. Surely to God there would be vending machines. Maybe even a machine with toiletries and other…necessities. It's what she was counting on. She bit her lip nervously, squeezing her thighs together a little to try to quell the desire that continued to throb at her core despite the ache she carried from Daryl's hands and tongue working her over.

She turned the corner and nearly smacked right into the ice machine. Quickly stepping around it, she checked out the other machines. There was a soda machine and a snack machine and another machine with toothbrushes, hairbrushes, and sticks of deodorant for outrageous prices. There was one packet of a popular brand of condoms, but it was wedged between the coiling metal ring and the side of the machine. _Of course. Just my luck_.

She considered her options, and she figured it was worth the risk. She stuck a crumpled bill into the acceptor, only to have it come back out. She cursed under her breath, flattening the bill out and sliding it against the corner of the machine to try to flatten out the wrinkles. When she put it in again, the machine accepted it, and she made her selection. The metal ring coiled and cringed against the condom packet. And the condom seemed even more lodged in there than before. _Well, fuck me._

With a heavy sigh, she tried one more dollar, only to hear the metal coil make a horrid noise as it further smashed the condom packet against the side of the machine. Without thinking, Carol smacked her hand hard against the machine, groaning in pain at the sting in her palm.

"Whoa, you ok?" Carol spun quickly to find Working Stiff Tara standing there with an empty plastic cup in one hand and a can of soda in the other.

"Great," Carol muttered.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sorry about the choices. The vendor hasn't come to stock up in the last couple of weeks. Something about low demand around here." Tara shrugged. "I keep calling. You need something? People are all the time leaving junk behind."

"Uh, no. No, I'm fine," Carol replied, cheeks blushing furiously. Tara looked over her shoulder to make certain nobody was listening, as if she could get in trouble for what she was about to tell her.

"You're not the first person to try to get those condoms. Believe me. Come here. I think I've got just what you need."

"Oh, God, no. Thanks, I'm good. I just…"

"The closest drug store is a good eight miles down the road. Do you really want to drive all that way in the middle of the night?" Carol opened her mouth and promptly closed it. "Follow me." If Carol had had her wits about her in that moment, she'd have fled for the hotel room and chained the door behind her. What self-respecting forty-year-old woman went on a wild goose chase for condoms in the middle of the night at a questionable hotel? Well, her mind had no answer, but her body knew what it wanted, so she followed Tara back to the front office.

"One of the, quote unquote, _perks_ of managing this shithole is that we have no housekeepers. I do all that shit myself, and so does the day guy. People get up and leave in the middle of the night, in a hurry, and they leave stuff behind." Tara disappeared into the closet before she came back out with a box full of stuff. She pulled out a black and gold box, still in plastic wrap. "Some dude left this like a week ago. I guess his 'date' stood him up. Or had a better offer." She shrugged her shoulders, popping her gum as she extended her hand out. Carol's fingers trembled, and she hesitated for a moment. "C'mon. I get it. You guys are a new couple, right?"

"How'd you know?"

"Because he was so respectful and asked for two rooms, and you looked like you just wanted to jump his bones. Just take the condoms and have fun. No extra charge." Carol hesitated for a brief moment, and Tara sighed. "Look, if I was into penis, I'd have snatched these bad boys up for myself. You've got…looks like eighteen in assorted colors. Free of charge." She shook the box at Carol and raised her eyebrows. "Going once…going twice…"

"Oh, alright," Carol huffed, taking the box in her hand.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Thank you," Carol murmured, cheeks flushing pink.

"Don't thank me. Thank the perv who got stood up by a hooker." Carol made a face and but gave the younger woman a nod. "You still want that seven thirty wakeup call?" Carol looked at the box of condoms and then over her shoulder toward the hotel room door.

"Make it ten?" she asked.

"You got it," Tara said with a smile. With that, Carol turned quickly on her heels and practically sprinted back to the hotel room, box of condoms in hand, praying she wouldn't die from anticipation before they finally got around to using them.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Daryl sat up quickly when the door flew open, and he saw the gleam in her eyes right before she turned to lock the door.

"What's that?" he asked, nodding toward the box in her hand. She tossed it his way, and he caught it, fumbling with it as she stripped down faster than he'd ever seen a woman get naked. "How'd you find 'em?"

"I have my ways," she said softly, tossing the clothes into a pile on the chair by the window.

"Fuck, you're amazing," he groaned, dick twitching against his thigh. "Get over here." She smiled then, watching as he ripped open the box. "Shit, they're all different colors." He grabbed a red one, and Carol smiled widely, crawling across the bed, straddling his hips with her knees. "You in a hurry, sweetheart?" He brushed his hand over her shoulder before she attacked him with a hungry kiss.

"Oh, there's no hurry," she whispered, brushing her lips against his. She felt him tremble under the touch, and she slid her hands down his chest. One had curled around his cock, stroking it to fullness again, and he groaned, scraping his teeth over her lower lip. She gasped against his mouth, swirling her tongue over his, hungry for him, eager for more.

Never in her entire life had she given herself so completely to someone so quickly into a relationship, but with Daryl, it was natural. It was right. Whatever happened tomorrow, _this_ was what she needed—what she wanted—now.

His hands ghosted up her thighs and her hips and over her breasts, cupping them gently before leaning forward, sucking at the spot of skin between her shoulder and her neck, and she gasped sharply, stroking him a little faster. He felt the blood pumping fast and steady beneath his skin, heart thundering as her hand worked magic over him. He groaned then, moving one hand down, gently holding her wrist steady. She pulled back a little, eyes wide, feigning innocence.

"You keep doin' that, it'll be over 'fore it gets started."

"We wouldn't want that, would we?" she purred. Daryl grasped for the condom packet which had fallen to the wayside on the mattress. He unceremoniously tore it open with his teeth and slid the rubber over his dick, praying it wouldn't tear. The condom was bordering on too small and second-skin-tight.

Carol watched his face the whole time, watched the way his eyes fluttered closed for a moment. He reached out for her, hands gliding over her hips and her breasts. Then he looked at her, staring deep into her eyes, blue on blue, pupils dark and wide as he leaned in, bunching one hand into her hair at the nape of her neck, while the other pressed against her lower back, pulling her to him.

She sighed against his mouth, kissing him hungrily as she straddled his hips. She could feel him, heavy, thick and hard pressing against her cleft. Her body began to tremble in anticipation of this moment. Her hands shook as she slid them over his arms and shoulders.

"You ready?" he asked, showing more restraint than she'd expected. She nodded, hesitating briefly as she reached between them, wrapping her hand around his thickness again. He saw the concern in her eyes at that moment, and the flush spread through his cheeks. She was nervous, and he was too, and the last thing he wanted was to hurt her. He kissed her softly then. "Lay back." He shifted then, laying her back along the bed pointing toward the foot of the bed. He crawled over her then, settling his hips against hers, sucking at her neck before dropping low to take a nipple between his teeth, tugging gently before soothing over it with his tongue. She cried out softly, arching into his mouth, while his hand moved between them where their hips rested together. He began to stroke her there, pushing two fingers in before spreading the moisture all over, making sure she was fully lubricated. She was shivering then, and he pressed his lips against her as he repeated his motions, and he caught her cry in his mouth, easing his fingers into her once again.

He pushed a third finger into her, stroking her until she was whimpering. Her fingers dug into his shoulders. Her hips lifted up off the mattress as she moved to the rhythm of his hand.

Her hands came up, fingers dragging through his hair. She was panting then, and he broke away leaning back just enough to see the need in her eyes. She nodded softly, biting her lip as he moved his hand away, skimming it up her thigh, leaving a wet trail along her skin. He circled his hand around his cock, sliding it along her cleft for a moment, lubricating himself against her. She cried out, hips bucking upward as she dug her nails into his back.

"Please," she panted. "I need you inside me." He felt her tongue on his ear, and he about fucking lost it.

"Christ," he grunted, pushing in, sliding the tip just inside. She cried out about his neck, fingers digging harder for purchase. She was warm and wet and tight against the head of his cock, and he was suddenly thankful he'd come twice already that night. Maybe he could last for her.

"Daryl!" she cried out, shifting her hips, taking him in a little deeper. Her head thrashed back against the pillow, and he froze, seeing the way her eyes screwed shut tightly.

"Fuck, m'hurtin' you," he grunted, attempting to pull back. But she wouldn't let him go. Her legs came around his hips, and she locked her ankles together behind him.

"Don't stop. God, don't stop," she panted. "Please." Daryl closed his eyes, trying to remember his own fucking name in that moment as he slowly slid inside of her, surrounding himself by her heat and the pressure of her walls that fluttered around him, stretching to accommodate him.

"You ok?" he panted. She nodded but said nothing, circling her arms around his neck, arching up to bury her face against his neck. "Fuck. You feel so good," he groaned, moving experimentally, feeling the way her walls fit around him like a glove, like they were built solely for each other. Her legs tightened around his hips, and her walls squeezed him like a vice. He sought her mouth out, choking back a cry as the pressure intensified, and he thought he might just lose consciousness. She whimpered against his lips.

She felt like her blood was boiling, a wildfire spreading through her veins. His hands shook as he touched her, as he made love to her, as he kissed the hollow of her throat and dragged a moan out of her like nothing he'd ever heard before.

"Daryl," she panted. "Daryl…" He looked up at her then, brushing his thumb over her pretty pink lips. She kissed the pad of his thumb then, and he bent down, kissing her hungrily, moving his hips a little faster now.

"Please," she whispered against his mouth. "Harder."

"You sure?"

"Don't stop." He pushed himself up then, hands framing either side of her on the mattress as he began to thrust. She cried out against his shoulder, and he felt her bite down, teeth nipping against his skin as he filled her, moving his hips against hers, pulling almost completely out before slamming into her again.

Tears flooded her eyes. Never in her life had she experienced anything that hurt so good. He'd stretched her, that aching burn of neglected muscles and stretching giving way to absolute pleasure, a high that she hadn't felt for so long.

"Please don't stop," she cried out, clawing at his back as he put his weight on his knees and grabbed the backs of her thighs to shift her hips, changing the angle. She was screaming now, biting her cries out on her wrist. "Fuck! Oh, Daryl! Yes! Oh, God!" She pulled the pillow over her face, stifling the cries as she reached orgasm. He reached for the pillow, pulling it back.

"Wanna hear you scream," he grunted. "Don't fight it." She grabbed at his neck, pulling him down on her, sucking his tongue into her mouth as he thrust harder against her. She was whimpering and shaking as he pulled back. His hand moved between her legs, thumb circling her clit, and she went soaring again, screaming louder now.

He pressed his forehead against her shoulder, grunting as he gathered the backs of her legs in his hands again and pulled her closer, pulled himself deeper until the spasm of her walls around his cock finally triggered his own release. He came then, collapsing on top of her, breathing hard and fast against her neck as she stroked his back and shoulders.

He pressed kisses along her shoulder blade and up her neck, behind her ear. She sighed softly when she slid out of her. He heard the sigh against his ear, and he rolled off of her, depositing the rubber in the wastebasket by the bed. He turned back to her, and he saw the smile on her face and the blush on her cheeks.

This was the part he'd never been good at. He'd never been good at the after. The before and the during had always been pretty well received, but he'd never really known what the hell to do with a woman, or with himself for that matter, after it was all said and done. Most of them in the past would just get dressed and leave. Well, she certainly wasn't going to do that.

"You ok?" he asked softly, brushing his hand over her forehead, smoothing back the damp hair that stuck there. She chuckled a little, bringing her hand up his arm, giving it a little squeeze.

"Never better," she promised.

"You wanna sleep?" he asked.

"I'm too awake to sleep," she admitted. "But you look like you're about to drop." She kissed his nose then before pressing her lips against his forehead. "We should sleep."

"We should shower," he snorted. Carol laughed then, and she smiled as he reached for her. When he felt her relax against his chest as they lay with their legs entwined, he realized that there just might be something to this cuddling thing after all.

Carol was the first to wake, and she stretched as the ringing seemed to grow louder. She yawned, reaching for the phone.

"Hello?" she asked, blinking into the late morning light.

"This is your ten o'clock wakeup call," said a man on the other line.

"Oh, ok. Thank you. Um, where's the girl from last night?"

"She went home. I'm here all day if you need anything."

"No, thanks. We'll be leaving shortly," Carol murmured. "Thanks for the call." She hung up and sighed, relaxing against the pillow. She suddenly became very aware that something heavy was lying across her belly. She looked down to see Daryl's head and arm draped over her, and she giggled. The movement over her stomach stirred him from his sleep.

He groaned, turning his head to look at her. Cracking one eye open, he waited for his eyes to adjust and then moved his hand up to grasp her bare breast.

"Well, good morning to you, too," she said with a grin, moving to run her fingers through his hair.

"Hey," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her stomach. "Time is it?"

"Ten. I changed our wakeup call. Thought we might need to sleep in."

"Good thinkin'," he murmured, chuckling as he ran his warm hand over her stomach. He sat up a little, yawning and stretching, and Carol smiled, placing her hand against his back. "Where we goin' today?"

"Oh, I don't know," she murmured. "Maybe we can just drive around and see where the road takes us."

"I like that idea," he murmured sleepily.

"Yeah?"

"Mmm." Carol sat up behind him, pressing a kiss between his shoulder blades, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. "Probably ought to get a shower, huh?"

"Why don't you go first."

"Why don't ya join me?" Carol giggled as he reached around and grabbed her, pulling her around and into his lap. She squealed as he pressed his mouth against hers.

"Well, that's an idea," she giggled. "Why don't you go get started? I'll be in shortly." Daryl nodded, kissing her once again before pulling himself out of the bed. Carol blushed at the sight of his bare ass, though she didn't quite know why after everything they'd done the night before.

He slipped into the bathroom and turned on the shower, and Carol quickly slipped out of the bed and over to the small desk by the television. There was a pen and a pad of paper, and she quickly scribbled down a note.

 _Tara,_

 _Thank you for all of your help. This has been the best hotel experience I've ever had. Thank you for going above and beyond for your customers._

She blushed as she wrote it, but she folded it up and tucked it inside of her purse, making a mental note to leave it at the desk for her when they turned in their key.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

As they drove down that old highway, Carol couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this good. Daryl had one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on her thigh. She'd curled her fingers around his an hour ago, and they hadn't moved. Neither of them had spoken since getting in the truck and pulling out from the hotel. They were just there. Together. Comfortable.

Daryl had just turned off on an exit that promised a beach when Carol's cell phone rang. She jumped slightly and fished inside of her pocket for her cell. She gave Daryl's fingers a little squeeze, and he squeezed hers back.

"Sophia?"

"Hi, Mama. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm…I'm good," Carol said slowly. "You doing ok?"

"We're great. Um, we're just going to lunch. So?"

"So, what?"

"Where are you?"

"What makes you think I'm somewhere?" Silence. "Oh, fine. I'm in Florida. Somewhere."

"Somewhere? You don't know where you're at?" Carol chuckled and glanced at Daryl.

"Um, we're heading to the ocean."

"Mama, you don't even know where you are? Wait. You said 'we?' Did you ask him? He's with you?!" Sophia sounded like an excited child in that moment, and Carol bit her lip, unable to hide her smile.

"Yeah," Carol said, cheeks flushing. "I think we're close to Tampa, but we're taking the back roads. Less traffic."

"Are you having fun?"

"Are _you_ having fun?" Carol asked, laughing softly, avoiding her daughter's question. "How's Carl?"

"He's good. We're thinking about coming back earlier, but we haven't decided yet."

"Why? It's your honeymoon! Don't rush back. I miss you like crazy, but I know you're having the time of your life." She placed her hand over her heart. She felt a little guilty in that moment. Yes, she missed Sophia, but the past couple of days had had her mind on other things and certainly not on the fact that her daughter was starting a new chapter in her life with her husband. She hadn't been focused on how her life was going to change, how she was going to have so much time on her hands. All she'd been focused on was how good it felt to have someone like Daryl to talk to; how good it felt to _be_ with him.

"Mom?" Sophia asked hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever…after you married Ed, I mean, before things went bad…?"

"Sophia?"

"Did you ever think that maybe you made a mistake? That maybe you shouldn't have…"

"Sophia, are you having second thoughts?"

"No," she said softly. "Mom, I love Carl, but I just can't help but think…we're so young, and…"

"Sophia," Carol said softly, "you love him. And he loves you."

"I know."

"And you're young, yes. And twenty years from now, you may still together, you may not be, but honey, you can't know that yet. If everybody could look into the future and see how their lives were going to turn out, it would take all of the excitement out of life."

"You're right," Sophia said gently. "I'm just…I was just thinking about you and Ed, and…"

"Honey, let me stop you right there. There's no way your marriage to Carl could ever compare to my marriage to Ed. I didn't know him like you know Carl. I thought I loved him, and I thought I knew him, and clearly I didn't. Carl's a good guy, sweetie. He won't hurt you, because he knows that if he does, he'll have me, Rick _and_ Michonne to answer to, because we all love you so much." She peeked over at Daryl briefly, who had his eyes on the road. She gave his hand a little squeeze. "Sophia, whatever happens, I will always be there to support you. You know that, right?"

"I know, Mama," Sophia murmured. Carol could hear the hesitation in the girl's voice.

"Sweetheart, was there something else you wanted to tell me?"

"I…no. No, I'm just over-thinking things. I'm happy. I am. I just have a lot on my mind."

"You come by it honestly," Carol chuckled. "I can't remember the last time I didn't over-think things." _Until recently._ "I'll call you in a few days, ok?"

"Ok. Love you."

"I love you, too." Carol frowned, hanging up the phone. She sighed softly, and Daryl glanced her way.

"Everything alright?"

"I'm worried about Sophia," she said quietly. "She's…well, I think she's just worried about what happens next. After the honeymoon, they come back to reality and have to start their lives together. I think it's suddenly setting in that she's actually married." She smiled sadly.

"After the honeymoon," Daryl said quietly, "they come back, and they're married, and they start workin' on buildin' a life together." Carol glanced at him wistfully for a moment.

"Or they come home and realize the honeymoon really _is_ over, and things just…things aren't the same."

"Don't think like that," Daryl murmured quietly. "Your girl and her husband, they were good friends before?"

"Yes. The best of friends."

"Then they didn't go into this without thinkin' about it. They love each other."

"Very much," Carol agreed with a nod. "And he's good to her, and when they came to me and told me they wanted to get married, I was a little worried. But she's happy, and he makes her happy, and they are both working and able to support a marriage. I'm just…I still look at her sometimes and see my little baby girl. It's hard." She smiled sadly at him, and he reached over, giving her knee a squeeze. She smiled then, placing her hand over his. "How do you do it?"

"What?"

"You make me feel better. You just…you know what to say or what to do, and you barely even know me."

"Know you better today than I did yesterday," he pointed out. Carol blushed as a grin spread over her face. If she was being honest with herself, Daryl already knew her better than most anyone else in her life, and that was definitely saying something.

"That's true," she said with a little smile. She focused her attention back on the road, and she closed her eyes, relishing in the feel of the sunshine on her face and Daryl's fingers entwined with hers.

"I got a confession," Daryl murmured several minutes later, breaking the comfortable silence.

"What's that?" she asked with a yawn, leaning her head back against the headrest of the bench seat.

"When you were takin' the keys to the desk this mornin', I called and made reservations." Carol quirked an eyebrow up. "I know, we're s'posed to be drivin' to see where we end up, but a couple more miles, and you'll see why I called ahead." Carol smiled a little.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"You'll see. And you're gonna love it."

"Tell me you aren't spending a bunch of money, because, Daryl, all I really care about is being here with you, and…"

"Would you hush?" he asked, giving her hand a squeeze. "We'll be there soon." He brought her hand to his lips and gave her knuckles a kiss. "You trust me?" She nodded. She did trust him. She'd never trusted somebody so much in her entire life, and it was a little scary, but at the same time, she was happier than she ever thought possible.

"I trust you," she murmured.

"Good." He gave her hand a squeeze again and turned his attention back on the road, seeking out their destination.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

It was called Neptune's Cove, and it was a small rental home right on the beach. Carol was rendered speechless the moment Daryl pulled the truck up in front of the place. It was a beautiful home with a wrap-around porch. She could smell the salty sea air and feel the breeze against her sweat-damp skin.

"You like it?" he asked softly. "We got it for the whole week. Private beach and all. No neighbors. Just us."

"Daryl Dixon, are you crazy?" she asked softly, placing her hand against her chest. "This must have cost a fortune."

"Good thing I got a credit card then, huh?" he asked with a chuckle. "Already took care of it over the phone, so we leave now, then it's just gonna sit empty for a whole week. It'd be a shame to let a nice place like this sit empty 'til the next guest comes along."

"It's beautiful," she whispered, moving to wrap her arms around his neck. She stood on her tiptoes, pressing her lips against his softly. When she pulled back, she sighed, smiling as her eyes glistened with tears. "Thank you. It's lovely."

"C'mon. Let's take a look around the place."

"But our bags…"

"They can wait," he promised. "C'mon." He threaded his fingers through hers, and a warmth spread through her. She hadn't fallen for someone in a long, long time, and she was pretty sure that's what was happening. He was so good to her, and she couldn't remember _ever_ feeling this way before. This was the kind of feeling those bubblegum love songs were all about.

She followed him around the house, and she admired the view of the sun setting against the ocean. It was magical, and she felt a little breathless as they stepped out of the grass and down onto the sand.

"Wait," she murmured, toeing off her shoes and tossing them aside for later. "I always wanted to do this." Daryl chuckled as Carol sunk her toes into the sand. "You should try it."

"M'good," he replied.

"No, come on," she urged. She didn't have to urge very hard, because about halfway through her second urging, he was already removing his boots and leaving them with her shoes. He peeled his socks off and let his feet sink into the cool sand.

"Nice," he said with a nod. "Know what's better?"

"What's that?" she asked. He leaned forward, brushing his fingers along her neck and shoulder. His breath was warm against her ear.

"Skinny dippin'."

"In your dreams, Dixon," she snorted.

"Oh yeah?"

"Oh, yeah," she laughed.

"It's a private beach."

"Private doesn't necessarily mean private," she pointed out. "What about trespassers?"

"Or a stray dolphin?" he asked with a snort. Carol rolled her eyes.

"You're going to have to get me drunk first."

"I'll get the wine." He started for the house, and Carol laughed, tugging on his hand.

"Come on. Walk with me?" she asked. He brought her hand to his lips and gave her a little nod. He'd follow her anywhere if she'd let him.

...

"You ok?" Sophia jumped when Carl came walking out of the hotel room and onto the balcony overlooking the ocean.

"Mmm," she said with a slight smile, running her fingers through her hair. "I'm better."

"I got you some crackers and some milk. Sorry, I really didn't know what to do."

"It's ok," she promised, taking one of the crackers and popping it in her mouth. She turned back to the balcony railing and leaned over it, feeling the cool rush of the sea breeze flutter against her cheek. Carl gently placed his hand on her back and rubbed slow, soft circles.

"You talk to your mom?"

"Yeah," she said with a little laugh. "But I chickened out. I think I made her think our marriage is in trouble." She moved to sit down on one of the plastic chairs. Carl knelt down and took his wife's hand in his. "People are going to think we _had_ to get married."

"We just found out. We didn't even know before the wedding."

"Yeah, but you know how people are," Sophia replied with an eye roll.

"Well, we wanted to get married. We weren't trying to get pregnant. It just happened," Carl pointed out.

"Obviously," Sophia snorted.

"Well, who cares what people say, anyway? We wanted to get married, and now we're having a baby, and that's a good thing." Sophia smiled a little, sighing softly.

"I want to take another test, just to be sure."

"Sophia," Carol chuckled, "you've been sick the last two mornings, and the test was positive."

"Still, I should take another one. You never know."

"Baby, you're pregnant," he promised her. "And it's gonna be ok. I promise. We're gonna make this work, and it's gonna be great."

"You think so?" Sophia asked softly.

"I know it," Carl promised, taking her hand in his. "And let people talk. We know the truth. And you really need to tell your mom."

"I know, but she's having some fun vacation fling with Daryl Dixon. I think I'll wait to lower this bombshell on her until she's home and we're home." Then a look of panicked horror crossed her face.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

"Oh, God. She's going to kill me for making her a grandmother at forty."

"You're a married woman. You honestly think she's not expecting this to happen?"

"Well, not right away."

"Well, you better get her used to the idea, 'cause it's happening."

"It is happening," Sophia murmured. "Oh God, this is really happening." And then the smile spread across her face. "We're having a baby."

"Told ya," Carl laughed, leaning in to kiss his bride. "It's gonna be great."

...

"How'd you know they'd have wine for us?" Carol asked, leaning back against Daryl's chest as they sat together in one of the beach chairs, each with a glass of wine in their hand. The moon reflected over the glassy ocean, lighting up the beach just enough that they would be able to see to get back to the house. Daryl nuzzled the back of her neck. "I'm starting to think you've been here before, Mr. Dixon. I'm not the first you've brought out here, am I?"

"'Course you are. I saw a thing for it on TV."

"When did you have the TV on?"

"When you were getting condoms," he pointed out.

"You turned on the TV when I left the room for all of three minutes?"

"Well, yeah." Carol laughed then, as Daryl moved his hand up her side and over her breast, cupping it through the material of her blouse. "Had to think of somethin' else 'sides the stiff one you left me with."

"That's so romantic," Carol laughed. She gulped down the last of her wine, and she sighed, feeling a little light headed, a little loose, a little flushed. She put her glass down in the sand and turned on his lap, straddling his hips. She placed one hand against his chest, while the other reached for his wine glass. He moved his hand away quickly, slurping down the last of the sweet beverage before placing his glass down in the sand with hers. His hands were on her hips then, and her mouth was hot against his, tongue slipping into his mouth when he opened up to her.

"You wanna?" he asked then, hand moving up her shirt, grasping her breast through the fabric of her bra.

"Depends on what you're asking," she whispered, giggling then as his other hand slipped down her back and gave her ass a firm squeeze.

"C'mon," he urged, patting her thigh and removing his hand from her shirt. "Wanna get you naked."

"Oh, I like where this is going," she laughed. "I'm game." She stood then, and he was up and attacking her with kisses in moments, hands clutching at the bottom of her shirt, tugging it up and getting it over her head. She shivered as the cool sea breeze ghosted over her skin, and she made quick work of getting him shirtless, too.

"C'mon," he urged, stepping out of his shoes and pants, wearing nothing but his underwear as he started toward the water.

"You're not naked yet," she pouted, stepping in front of him to tug at his underwear. She kept her eyes on him, kneeling in front of him, grateful for the darkness, for her cheeks were surely burning red. She slid the fabric down his legs, and he stepped out, staring down at her as she lingered there.

"You stayin' down there all night?"

"If you want me to," she teased.

"You're killin' me, woman." She chuckled then, and he helped her stand before quickly tugging her underwear off and unclasping her bra. He bent to take a nipple between his teeth, tugging sharply, getting a hiss out of her.

"You play dirty," she grinned, as he unceremoniously lifted her up in his arms and rushed her to the shoreline. "Wait! It's gonna be cold!"

"Hope you can swim," he teased. He rushed into the water, just as the tide rolled in, cool water sticking his skin. He grunted, and Carol yelped as the cold tickled her feet, and he toppled over then, dumping her in the water. She screeched before going under, and when they both came up, Carol splashed him before wiping the hair out of her eyes and squinting through the stinging salt that got in her eyes.

"You're going to pay for that, just so you know."

"Good," he snickered, reaching for her under the water, bringing her flush against his body. She smiled just as he leaned in for a kiss. She wrapped her arms around him, melting against his embrace, heart fluttering as she let her body take over, let herself feel good as he caressed her and kissed her. Nobody had ever made her feel like this. Desired. He could just look at her, those steel blue eyes piercing into hers, looking right through her as if he knew everything about her. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

She sighed softly against his mouth, breaking the kiss and leaning her forehead against his.

"You cold?" he asked.

"I'm warming up," she grinned.

"You wanna swim?"

"No," she whispered.

"You wanna go in?"

"No." She claimed his mouth with a soft kiss.

"You wanna get out? Maybe lay on the beach a while?"

"Mmm," she hummed, cocking her head to the side. "Maybe in a while. I like it out here with you." He smiled then, hand skimming down her back and then up again, sending tingles down Carol's spine. And then he kissed his way up her jaw, brushing his lips against her ear, warm breath making her tremble.

"Good. I was just thinkin' the same thing."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Oh, God. Don't stop," she panted, hand snaking down her neck and over her chest, fingers slipping in sweat as she gave her nipple a squeeze, rolling it between her fingers as her stomach muscles jumped in reaction to Daryl's palm flat against it, fingers feather light as he held her down. His other hand was preoccupied, fingers slipping in and out of her as his tongue worked magic on her clit.

Her knees trembled, and she dug her toes into the mattress, and Daryl groaned, savoring both the taste of her and the sensation of his hard cock rubbing against the mattress as he moved he adjusted his hips.

He slipped another finger inside of her, and she arched her back, crying out, spreading wide for him as she surged, vision blurring and blacking before she collapsed on the mattress, a pile of quivering, jelly-like limbs as he crawled up her body, teasing her with his lips and tongue before settling for kissing her, giving her a taste of herself.

"God," she panted. "I think I blacked out for a second." Her hands were moving down his arms, and she sighed softly as he took a nipple between his lips, taking his time, slowly teasing it with his tongue. He looked up when he heard a sharp crinkle, and he narrowed his gaze at her when he saw her opening the condom wrapper.

"You in a hurry, sweetheart?" he asked, dipping low, sucking at the outside of her belly button before dipping his tongue inside.

"Daryl," she groaned. "Fuck." He smirked then, fucking smirked, and he reached for her hand, grabbing the condom and quickly sheathing it over his cock. She smiled, satisfied at her victory as he moved back up her body, settling his hips against her own.

"Tell me what you want," he panted, sucking at her collarbone, her neck, the hollow of her throat. She bit her lip, barely remembering her own name after that mind-blowing orgasm.

"You know what I want," she hissed against his mouth, threading her fingers through his hair as she pulled him down hard against her, moaning as his tongue slipped into her mouth.

"Fuck," he panted, as her fingers curled around his cock, lining him up, eyes screwing shut as he slipped inside of her slowly, teasingly. Her arms came around his neck when he was fully seated inside of her, and she whimpered against his mouth, sighing as he began to trail kisses down her neck and chest. She expected it fast, rough. But he took his time, moving slowly, as if he was worshipping her body; memorizing her.

She wrapped her legs around him, bringing him closer, and he settled against her, burying his face against her neck, his warm breath and wet tongue doing things to her she'd never thought possible, as a rush of heat broke the surface of her skin, a fine sheen of sweat covering her as they moved together, a perfect fit, a well-oiled machine, moving together as if they were made solely for one another.

He looked into her eyes, thumb brushing over her kiss-swollen lips. She saw something there, something that thrilled and terrified her at the same time. Nobody had ever looked at her that way. She'd never felt so connected with a lover, not even her own husband, and it set her heart thundering in her chest.

"So beautiful," he murmured, caressing her hip with his calloused fingertips. She closed her eyes then, reveling in the feeling of him stretching her, of him filling her, slow and deep. It didn't take long, once he moved his hand between them, fingers playing with her clit, stroking her as he made love to her. She felt the bubble burst, and she felt like she was soaring as he found his own release.

 _"I love you."_

He panted the three words against her ear as he came, three words she was certain she'd heard but uncertain if she'd heard them right at the same time. A whisper. Maybe it had been her own mind playing tricks. Maybe he had said it. Maybe he didn't know he'd said it.

Maybe she was fantasizing. Yes. It was all it was. She was certain of it. He couldn't possibly have said the three words she'd thought she'd heard. But she didn't have much time to ponder if her ears were playing tricks on her. When he rolled off of her and ran his fingers through his hair, she glanced at him, wondering if he was expecting a reaction, reciprocation. But, he just looked at her and smiled, slipping his damp fingers against hers, curling their hands together in a tender embrace, as if they'd been doing this for years.

She didn't know what to say, what to do, but all she knew was that those three little words were echoing through her head, and all her heart wanted to do was whisper them back. But before she had the chance, he was wriggling out of bed, pulling her up with him and taking her to the shower. Before too long, they were enjoying one another under a steady stream of warm water, hands and mouths exploring like it was the first time, like it was the last time, like only the now was what mattered. The rest could matter tomorrow.

...

"Tell me about Ed," Daryl said quietly over a breakfast of fresh fruit. Carol nearly choked, looking up from her plate. They sat together at the cozy table with a perfect view of the morning tide.

"You know about Ed," she said, swallowing a chunk of mango.

"I know you married him when you turned eighteen, and I know you had a kid with him, and I know he bailed like a coward. But that's 'bout all I know."

"Well, there's not much to tell," she said with a little shrug, taking a bite of watermelon. Daryl narrowed his eyes at her briefly. "What?"

"You married the guy. You must've loved him."

"Oh, I did," she said with a little smirk. "He was my high school sweetheart. He was the guy that every girl seemed to want. He wasn't the football star, but he played on the team. He had this charm about him. All the girls seemed to swoon over it. I thought he was an arrogant jerk, but he had his eyes on me. Oh, I should have gone with my gut when it came to Ed Peletier. He turned that charm on, made me think I was special. And I was just…just a girl. I wasn't popular. I wasn't gorgeous."

"That's a damned lie right there," Daryl snorted. "Ain't no way you were never gorgeous. You're beautiful." Carol blushed at that and reached for a sip of water. She drank it down, feeling heated by the way he was looking at her. She knew if she didn't look away, she'd never get through her story.

She took a few more sips of water before she focused on her plate of fruit. Between mouthfuls, she told the rest of her story.

"I loved to read. I was a decent student, pretty solid grades. Not perfect, but good enough. I spent most of my time writing or with my nose in a book, and most people left me alone. I wasn't teased. I wasn't bullied. People just seemed to not really care much one way or the other. Oh, but Ed. I think he noticed that I wasn't throwing myself at his feet, and that's why he took an interest in me. I think I became a project to him. In retrospect, I think he was baffled that all these girls wanted him, but I didn't. Maybe he made it his mission to get me on the same page with these other girls. I dunno." She shrugged and blushed again, as Daryl reached across the table and brushed his fingertips against the soft skin over her knuckles.

"Must've worked," he said quietly.

"Oh, it worked. He made me feel like…I don't know, like I was special. Like out of all of these girls who he couldn't have so easily had, he worked for my affection. And I fell for him. I fell for the charm. I was the girl who lost her panties in the back of her boyfriend's car at the drive-in. I never thought I would _ever_ be that girl. But, for me, everything was about giving Ed what he wanted, making him happy. What I didn't see was that that was exactly what he wanted. My parents weren't thrilled that I was focusing more on Ed than school, but Ed put the charm on them, and they seemed alright with me spending my time with that 'nice young man.'" She rolled her eyes.

"Then you got pregnant."

"Well, no. Ed wanted to marry me our senior year, but I was seventeen, and I wouldn't turn eighteen until right after graduation. And my parents were terrified that if I got married, I'd drop out of school and have no future. But I was adamant. I was in love with Ed Peletier, and we were going to be together forever. The day I turned eighteen, we ran off and eloped, and we didn't look back. God, I broke my parents' hearts. I'm sure of it. They were…they…they accepted it, but I don't think they ever truly got over the shock of it. They didn't raise a girl who would just go off and do something like that on a whim. They didn't raise a girl to run off and marry the first boy that looked at her the way Ed looked at me." Carol shook her head. "But I got married, and we were happy. I mean, I thought I was happy. He took care of me, and we were just…we were married. And then I got pregnant, and things changed. I wasn't happy, but I thought that maybe things were supposed to change after…you know?" Daryl nodded.

"He hurt you?"

"No. He didn't hit me. He didn't beat me. He just…he became indifferent. He wanted no part in preparing for the baby. He would say he was happy, but I didn't see it. I told myself I was just crazy, that I was imagining it. Hormones, you know? But after Sophia came along, he would stay out late after work, drinking with buddies until he thought Sophia would be sleeping. He'd come back, and even months after Sophia came back, sex was just…it wasn't part of our routine anymore. He didn't look at me the same. He didn't touch me. And things just…well, the divorce came, and Ed signed his rights away. He said he wasn't ready to be a father, and Sophia was better off without him. He was right. Sophia doesn't remember him, and it's a good thing. I wish Sophia had had a father figure in her life when she was growing up."

"You did alright on your own," Daryl pointed out. "Sophia's great."

"She is, isn't she?" Carol said with a proud-mama smile. "It wasn't easy. But I'm grateful she turned out alright. I was terrified." She shook her head. "I've dated, but I never felt that spark. That feeling that it could be something so much more, you know? Until…" She caught herself, gaze drifting up to Daryl's. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Daryl said quietly. Carol looked away again, quickly reaching for her glass of water. Daryl put his hand over hers, lowering the glass. "You heard it."

"Heard what?" she asked, heart beginning to hammer against her ribs.

"You know…last night. It…it just slipped out, and m'sorry. Didn't realize I said it 'til after I did. Was thinkin' it, and it just…slipped out."

"You…you…you did say it, then?"

"Was worried it would scare ya off."

"It…it didn't," she said quietly. "I just…you didn't…I mean, it's so soon."

"I know," he said quietly. "But I ain't never felt like this about nobody before. And I feel it. When I'm with you, I feel it, and I just…I do." Carol stood quickly then, chair scraping against the linoleum floor.

"Daryl, I…please don't…don't say it again. Not yet. I just…I need some time." Daryl swallowed hard, standing up and moving toward her.

"I won't say it," he said quietly. "M'sorry if I scared you. It…it was stupid, and now I feel like an idiot."

"Don't," she whispered, bringing her hand up to his face, gently stroking the stubble along his jaw. "It wasn't stupid. I'm feeling things, Daryl. I can't help myself when I'm with you." She shivered when he put his hands on her hips. "It's just been me for so long. Me and Sophia. And now…now I just feel like…I feel like I'm flying. It probably sounds stupid, but I do. I feel like I'm just rushing so fast, like nothing can hurt me, like…like everything can be good and happy forever. And it isn't logical. But…"

"Maybe that's what it's s'posed to feel like. Fallin' in love," he said quietly. Carol's eyes misted over in that moment.

"Give me some time," she murmured. "Please, just have a little patience."

"You feel it?"

"I feel…I…" _Just say it, you idiot. He loves you. You love him. Don't be a coward_. She opened her mouth to speak, but Daryl leaned in to kiss her.

"It's too fast. I get it," he said quietly. "Ain't gonna rush you. We already rushed more'n enough, don't ya think?" Carol swallowed hard, smiling nervously at him now. "Rate we're goin', I'll end up proposin' 'fore we know each other a week." They both stared at one another, and his face turned red. "It was a joke."

"I know," she said nervously, smiling then, giving his hand a squeeze.

"Shit, I'm terrible at this."

"I'm a little rusty, myself," she admitted with a laugh. "Come on." She tugged at his hand, leading him toward the back door.

"Where we goin'?"

"I think we both need some fresh air. Clear our heads, hmm?"

"So you ain't runnin' off? I guess I didn't scare ya too bad."

"I'm not going anywhere," she promised. "I like that you're just a little bit of a crazy mess about this whole thing. At least I know it's not just me." Daryl snorted then, pulling her close and giving her another kiss. "Now for the rest of the week, let's try to remember that we're here to have fun. Whatever happens, happens, and just know that when it's time to go back, I'm still going with you."

"Yeah," he murmured, kissing her again. "Like the way you think."

"C'mon," she urged. "Let's see what the tide brought in last night." She smiled then, linking her fingers with his as they started out of the house and down to the beach to try to put that awkward conversation behind them.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Look at this one," Carol gasped softly, plucking a beautiful conch shell out of the sand. It was pearly white, and the inside shimmered in the sunlight as she turned it in her hand. She added it to the growing pile of souviniers in the basket she carried with her that morning. Along with a dried up starfish and a few beautiful pebbles and other lovely shells, she had collected a bit of sand into a plastic bag that she had the perfect glass container for back home.

Daryl had picked up a perfect, pristine sand dollar for her, which she kept on top of the pile so it wouldn't break.

"You ready to jump in?" he asked, reaching for the basket and placing it aside.

"Now? We're all clean and dry," she pointed out.

"So?"

"So, I think we're both going to have pneumonia before we get home."

"So?"

"You're impossible." She yelped when he scooped her up and started for the water. Her legs flailed, and she laughed until he put her back down. "If you want to get me naked, it's going to have to be back inside. Until sunset, these clothes stay on outside." She saw the hint of a pout cross his features.

"Alright," he muttered, defeated. "C'mere." He grabbed the basket and Carol's hand and led her over to the beach chair. He placed the basket down next to the seat in the sand and plopped down, pulling Carol down to sit in his lap. She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck as she curled up against him, inhaling the scent of him, soap and tobacco, a bit of sweat from the morning sun beating down on them both.

"I don't want to leave," she admitted, pouting slightly as Daryl gently ran his hand up and down her back. It was hard to believe their stay was almost over. They'd be heading back to Georgia that evening, and Carol wasn't quite ready to say goodbye yet.

"We could stay," he offered.

"Yeah, you could quit your job, and I could work long-distance, and we could sip wine on the beach until we run out of money," she giggled. Daryl snorted, nuzzling her cheek with his nose before pressing a few soft kisses down her jaw.

"Or I could get another job," he pointed out. "Ain't that hard."

"Daryl," she pointed out, gently placing her hand against his chest, fingers tracing gentle patterns through the coarse chest hair she found there. "It's a nice dream."

"Mmm," he murmured, pressing his lips against hers. "You wanna look for more shells?"

"No," she said with a smile, snuggling up against him. "I'm good here." Daryl chuckled then, running his hand over her back and hip and down her thigh. It was then that her cell phone rang, and she groaned, leaning her forehead against his.

"Damn," he grumbled with an amused smile. "Was just gettin' to the good part."

"Stop," she laughed, leaning over to grab her cell phone out from under the beach chair. "Hello?"

"Mama, it's me. Um, we're on our way home."

"So soon?" Carol asked, sitting up on Daryl's lap, concern creasing her brow. "Everything ok?"

"Everything's fine. We'll be home tomorrow."

"So will we," Carol replied quietly.

"Great! You want to meet for dinner? We have lots to tell you about Hawaii."

"Oh. Um, sure. You want to shoot for seven?"

"Seven sounds great. Mama? You can invite Daryl. I'd like to get to know the man that's dating my mother a little better."

"Oh. Um, I might do that. You be safe, alright? When does your flight leave?"

"In a hour. We'll have a layover in Denver before heading home."

"Alright. Safe flight. Love you, Soph."

"Love you, Mama," Sophia murmured before hanging up. Carol pursed her lips together and stared at her phone.

"Everything ok?" Daryl asked, gently stroking her arm.

"I'm not sure. I'm worried about her. She called me before, you know, asking me questions about when I married Ed and how I felt. Now I'm just…now they're coming home, and I'm worried about her."

"She sound ok?"

"She sounded fine," Carol replied with a shrug, raising her eyebrows. "And we're invited to dinner tomorrow."

"We?"

"Mmmhmm. Sophia wants to get to know my boyfriend a little better."

"That what I am, huh?" he asked, wiggling his brows at her. She snorted and leaned in, pressing her lips to his.

"Apparently."

"That mean I can do this?" She laughed when he squeezed her ass just then, and she swatted at his hand.

"Only if you intend to finish what you start. Can you accept the challenge?" She pressed kisses down his throat and over the flesh of his chest exposed by the loosened buttons on his shirt.

"I can," he said with a nod, swallowing hard as his hand gripped the armrest tightly.

"Good," she teased, standing up and grabbing for her basket of shells. "Then you'd better come catch me." She darted off toward the house, leaving Daryl awestruck as he sat in stunned silence, watching her run away before starting after her in full pursuit.

...

It was about six in the morning when they pulled into the drive. Carol yawned and stretched as she stepped into her house for the first time in over a week. She was glad to be home, but at the same time, she was going to miss the adventure with Daryl. The wave of sadness that washed over her was quickly chased away when she felt his hand on her shoulder as he slipped in behind her.

"You want to sleep over?"

"You don't care?"

"I'd rather you sleep here. I don't want to worry about you falling asleep on your way home. You're dead on your feet."

"Ain't that far," he pointed out.

"Ok," she said with a grin, turning and pulling her arms around his neck. "How can I put this…? I'd rather you stay here so you can ravage me before we fall asleep."

"I like that option better," he admitted, shutting the front door with his foot. Carol laughed as he scooped her up and started to carry her to her room, but just as soon as he started, he put her down. "Shit, I'm tired."

"Me too," she admitted with an exhausted laugh. She took his hand and led him to the couch.

"This is good," he offered. "You still want me to ravage you?" He yawned and tugged on his belt, and Carol pouted, pressing her lips to his.

"You can ravage me after we have a nap. How about that?" She patted his hand, and he smirked.

"Mmm, sounds good," he muttered, kicking off his shoes and throwing his legs up on the couch cushions. He lay back, and Carol collapsed against him, snuggling her face into his neck, breathing in the scent of him, relishing the feel of his warm against her. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply as he folded her into his arms and pressed a kiss atop her head.


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's Note: For those of you still leaving feedback, thank you! It helps to know what you guys think of the story. :)_

Chapter 16

"Ow!"

"Sorry. Shit."

"It's ok. Just let me reach for the…ow!"

"This was easier at the beach house," Daryl grumbled, pressing himself against the side of the shower as Carol reached around him to grab the bar of soap.

"The shower at the beach house was much bigger than mine," Carol pointed out. "Sorry." She lathered the bar in her hands and rubbed it over his chest, crinkling her nose and smiling up at him as his hands moved down her shoulders and over her hips, fingers slipping over her wet skin as the hot water pelted his back.

"Gotta be the smallest damned shower I ever seen."

"Well, pardon me," she laughed. "I don't entertain many guests in here, you know. You're special."

"M'special? How special?"

"Oh, pretty special," she said with a wink, moving her hand down his stomach. He sucked in a sharp breath, fully expecting her to grip is growing erection. But she didn't, and he groaned when she moved her hand around to squeeze his ass.

"Guess I ain't that special today, huh?"

"Now, if we start something now, we'll be late for dinner. So you're going to have to wait until we get home."

"I'm comin' home with you tonight?" Carol froze at the words, and she cocked her head to the side.

"Well," she considered, "if you want. I mean...if you want to get back to your place, I understand."

"Ain't nothin' back at my place. And I ain't gonna be havin' sex if I go home, so I like your idea better."

"I thought you might be on board," she laughed, as he grabbed the soap from her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him hungrily as he soaped up her backside. Before long, he let the soap clatter to the shower floor, and his hands were kneading and groping her ass as his erection strained against her stomach. "God…" She tilted her head back, panting as he sucked at her neck and her throat before dipping to take a nipple between his teeth. "Daryl. Oh, God." His hand moved between her legs then, fingers sliding between her slick folds. "We should…stop. Oh, fuck. That's good…" She sucked in a sharp breath between her teeth as he gave her nipple a tug and flicked his thumb over her clit at the same time.

"Can't get enough of ya," he panted against her breast, swirling his tongue around her nipple. She bit her lip, leaning back against the shower wall, the cool tiles shocking her back to reality.

"Oh….oh…ok. Ok, we have to stop." She gently pushed back on Daryl's shoulder, and he gave her the most pitiful look she'd ever seen, and she laughed, shaking her head. He moved back up, kissing her neck and then her mouth, threading his fingers into the hair at the nape of her neck. Her core was throbbing now, and she felt like her blood was on fire. How the hell was she going to get through dinner feeling like this, knowing that when she got him home, he was going to do things to her that would make a sailor blush?

As if he knew what she was thinking, he began to kneel.

"Daryl…"

"Don't worry. I'll be quick."

"Oh, fuck." She gripped the safety bar on the side of the shower and braced herself as he spread her legs enough to push his face between them. She cried out, chest heaving as he began to use his mouth on her, tongue working miracles that made her hate that she hadn't met him sooner. It already felt like she'd wasted so much time being single, being alone.

She threw her head back, feeling the hot water flooding over her as his fingers gripped into her thighs, keeping her spread for his eager mouth. She cried out, bringing her free hand to the top of his head, fingers curling into the hair as her knees began to quake.

"Daryl…oh…I'm…" She gasped as he plunged a couple of fingers inside of her, nearly sending her over the edge, and she began to whimper as he sucked her throbbing clit between his lips, putting just enough pressure there to have her gasping and tugging at his hair. "So close…Daryl!" He latched on, gripping her thighs firmly and sucking her; licking her with pure lust-fueled determination. And when she came, he pulled back from her clit, sliding his tongue along her folds, devouring her like a piece of ripe fruit.

"Jesus," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her thigh.

"Mmmhmm," she panted, slumping slightly as he wrapped his arms around her middle and rested his head against her stomach. "So much for waiting 'til after dinner."

"What can I say? I'm the kinda guy who likes my dessert first." Carol laughed then and shook her head.

"You're ridiculous," she murmured. "We should finish up here. Hand me the soap, will you? Thanks to you, I need another wash."

"Want me to help?"

"You've done enough, thanks," she laughed. She helped him to his feet, and he handed her the bar of soap before leaning in to press his lips against hers. He then leaned into the stream of cooling water and washed his face and ran his fingers through his hair. Carol couldn't help herself, giving Daryl's ass a little slap as he left the shower. He turned around, giving her a look that made her giggle. He raised his brows in surprise and smirked.

"Careful. Might like that a little too much." Carol laughed and rolled her eyes, closing the shower door as Daryl left. With a laugh, she tried to focus on cleaning up, anxiously awaiting dinner, but especially anxious for what came after dinner: coming back home with Daryl.

...

"Oh, it was beautiful," Sophia said with a sigh, smiling as she took a sip of strawberry lemonade. "Mama, you should have seen how blue the water was. We went out on a day cruise, and it was so clear you could see the coral. It was…oh, you'll just have to see the pictures, though they don't do it justice at all."

"It sounds wonderful," Carol said with a smile.

"Oh, you should go," Sophia said with a nod. "It's gorgeous. Really. Maybe you two can go sometime." Sophia grinned, looking back and forth between the increasingly uncomfortable looks on both her mother and Daryl's faces. "Maybe I should stop talking." Carl put his hand over hers on the table and gave her fingers a squeeze.

"How was Florida?" Carl asked quickly, getting a grateful smile from his mother-in-law in return.

"It was beautiful," Carol murmured with a dreamy smile. "The ocean was gorgeous. You could sit there and watch the waves roll in and just feel at peace. It was great. We had a good time. _I_ had a good time." She felt her cheeks grow warm, and Daryl squeezed her knee under the table. Carol jumped slightly, knocking her elbow against the table, nearly spilling her glass of ice water.

"Mama, you ok?" Sophia asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"Yeah," Carol blushed. "Fine. Just…so, what brought you two back so soon?"

"Oh," Sophia choked, "um, well, we just…we…"

"Had enough sunshine and beaches?" Daryl suggested.

"Not exactly," Sophia laughed. "Um, we actually, well, we have some news. And we wanted to tell you before we tell anybody else." Carol froze, glancing back and forth between Carl and Sophia, who both looked like they were about to burst from excitement.

"What's going on?" Carol asked, feeling slightly dizzy, as if she knew what was coming but wasn't quite prepared for it.

"Mama, I'm pregnant."

"Oh my God," Carol murmured, gasping softly and placing her hand to her chest. "You're…oh my God."

"Mama, I found out in Hawaii."

"You're…you're sure?" Carol asked, blinking a few times, trying to process the news.

"I went to the doctor. Um, they confirmed it. They said I'm probably around six weeks, give or take a few days. But I need to get set up with a doctor here, so I'm sure they'll be able to tell me more."

"Oh my God," Carol murmured.

"Mama, can you…can you say something…else?"

"I'm…how are…how are you feeling?" The shock slowly began to fall from her face, and her eyes began to fill with tears.

"I'm a little nauseated, but other than that, I feel good. Tired. Mama, are you ok?"

"I'm…I'm gonna be a grandma."

"A really young grandma, if that helps," Carl offered, getting kicked under the table by Sophia. "I mean, you don't look like a grandma. I mean, sure your hair is going gray, but I mean, you don't…"

"Just stop talking," Sophia hissed.

"Shit," Carl muttered. "I'm sorry Mrs. Peletier…uh, Mrs. Mom. Carol. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Carol murmured, looking down at her glass of water. She took a few deep breaths, and Sophia reached over to put her hand over her mother's.

"Mama, are you ok? I'm…I'm freaking out here a little, and I'm going to need you, and…"

"Sophia, honey," Carol whispered, "I love you so much, and I'm…I'm a little bit in shock, but I mean, what did I expect? You're a married woman. You're…you're starting a family, and I'm…I'm happy for you. I'll be here for you. Whatever you need. Whenever. Two in the morning? I'm here."

"Mama, thank you," Sophia said with a sniffle as a wide grin spread over her face. Carol took a deep breath and looked at Carl and then Sophia. And then she looked at Daryl and felt an overwhelming happiness wash over her. The sadness she'd felt over her daughter's moving on and growing up and growing apart from her was quickly being replaced with the realization that her life was about to change in an amazing way. She was going to be a grandmother, and she had this amazing new man in her life, and things were far from the lonely, empty-nest life she had expected to have after Sophia left home. No, things were better than ever.

...

"Stop."

"But…"

"No!"

"C'mon. Just one?"

"Fine. One. You get one, Daryl," Carol muttered, turning the key in the door and letting herself and Daryl in. She hooked the keys on the nail by the door and turned with her hands on her hips. "Well?"

"I can't think of one."

"Good," she laughed.

"Wait. I got it." Carol sighed loudly, and Daryl stepped toward her.

"Well?"

"You ain't my grandma."

"That's all you've got?"

"I'm gonna take you to your bedroom and do things to ya that would make other grandmas blush."

"Oh, that's a pretty good one," she snorted.

"And just think. You're technically young enough to be this kid's mom, so you'll be like the hottest granny at grandparent's day." His mouth was on her neck, and she snorted. "Unless you count the thirty year old grandma whose daughter carried on the tradition of getting knocked up at 15."

"Now that's just sad," Carol groaned. "Don't make me sad. Things were just getting hot."

"Want me to shut up?"

"Mmm…why don't you embellish on those things you want to do to me that would make other grandmas blush?"

"Well," he panted against her ear, slipping his hand down the front of her pants and thrusting his fingers down the front of her panties, "first of all, I'm gonna take these off you and spread your legs open and eat you out 'til you're screamin' my name."

"Oh fuck," she panted, as he pressed her against the wall. "Keep…god, keep going."

"Then I'm gonna flip you on your stomach and take you from behind, and you're gonna be screamin' into the pillow 'til we're both exhausted."

"Keep going," she moaned, clenching her thighs together, trapping his hand between her legs. She stuck her hand down the front of his pants, slipping her hand around his rock hard cock, and he let out a groan.

"You keep that up, and I ain't gonna be goin' for much longer," he warned. She promptly let go of him and wiggled away from him. She fell to her knees, looking up at him through her long eyelashes. "What're you doin'?"

"If I remember right," she murmured, unzipping his pants and taking his dick out, sliding her hand down his shaft slowly, applying the perfect amount of pressure, "it's your turn. I had my fun in the shower earlier, remember?"

"Think that was fun for both of us," he pointed out with a cocky grin, before she took him in her mouth, and he threw his head back, shuddering in pleasure as her warmth enveloped him. "But, do what you gotta do. I ain't complainin'."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Hey Grandma, what're you wearin'?" Daryl's gruff voice asked over the phone.

"I'm not responding to you if you call me Grandma," she laughed. "That's just weird."

"Aw, c'mon," he murmured.

"Nope." She laughed when he grumbled something under his breath. She cut the engine of her car and leaned back against the car seat.

"Well, how'd that doctor thing go with Soph today?"

"Good. She got to see the baby. They think she's closer to eight weeks. We heard its little heart beating, Daryl. Sophia cried. I cried. Carl was kind of stunned silent." Daryl chuckled then. "Where are you, anyway? Are you in the truck?"

"Nope. M'home," he replied. "Ain't you comin'?"

"I'm here. But your house is dark. What're you playin' at?"

"You gotta come 'round back."

"I haven't been here before. Where are you?" she laughed, getting out of the car and stepping up onto the sidewalk.

"See that gate off the side of the porch? Go through there."

"Now if I was in a horror movie, I'd be shaking in my boots right now."

"You'll like it. Promise."

"Are you naked?" she laughed.

"Maybe. And if I am, you will be too. Just c'mon." Carol sighed heavily and stepped past the porch and through the gate. She could hear water splashing and furrowed her brows, wondering exactly what he was up to. When she stepped around into the back yard, she was surprised to find a large in-ground swimming pool.

"You have a pool?"

"Came with the house," he said with a shrug. "You wanna join me?"

"I don't have a bathing suit," she pointed out.

"Don't need one. Got high fences, and it's dark. And I'm naked, so c'mon."

"Daryl Dixon," she laughed. "This isn't like the beach, you know? You have neighbors!"

"On my right is Mrs. Epstein. She's ninety and legally blind. On my left is Mr. Keaton. He's about eighty, and he's deaf, and he always turns his lights out about seven thirty. He's down for the night." Carol pursed her lips for a moment, considering her options. Daryl motioned toward the poolside table where there were two glasses of champagne waiting.

"I'm going to need a drink first," she said with a grin, stepping over, narrowly escaping an intentional splash from Daryl. Daryl smirked as Carol drank the champagne down in two gulps. He came to the edge of the pool, folding his arms along the edge, resting his chin there atop his arm. He watched her as she slowly slipped out of her shoes, and he savored the sight of her stripping down, regardless of whether or not she was intentionally performing a striptease.

She slipped out of her socks and quickly pulled her shirt over her head. Daryl raised his brows as he watched her. She looked down at him and furrowed her brows.

"What?" she asked.

"You're gorgeous."

"Oh, shut up."

"M'serious." She quickly unbuttoned her pants and stepped out of them, walking over to the edge of the pool wearing nothing but her bra and panties. "C'mere." She lowered herself to sit at the edge of the pool, dangling her legs in the water. Daryl moved over to her, his cool, damp hands moving up her calves and her thighs.

"Every little bit of you."

"Well, you should have seen me twenty years ago," she teased. "Things aren't quite as perky as they once were. I have stretch marks."

"Don't care," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her stomach. She giggled at the sensation of his damp scruff scratching her skin. She ran her fingers through his dripping hair and leaned back a little. "I like my women real. You're as real as they come."

"Thanks?"

"I mean, you're comfortable with yourself. You don't even realize how beautiful you are." Carol bit her lip a little, when Daryl looped his thumbs in the edges of her panties and tugged them down. She wriggled, lifting her hips and letting him slide the garment down her legs. She blushed when he tossed them aside, somewhere in the dark, and then he was tugging her into the pool. She muffled a yelp as the cool water enveloped her, and she shivered then, groaning at the realization that she was still wearing her bra.

"Great, now it's soaking wet," she pouted.

"I got a dryer," he teased, helping her out of it and tossing the sopping fabric out of the pool. He pulled her into his arms, holding her close, crushing her breasts against his chest.

"Did you miss me today, or something?" she teased, leaning in to kiss him softly.

"Mmm," he murmured, sliding his hand down her back.

"I got some work done, and I got to spend time with my daughter. I had a good day." She smiled. "But I missed you, too." She sighed happily, resting her head against his chest as they stood together in the pool, gently bouncing back and forth, as the water sloshed against them.

They'd been back from Florida for nearly two weeks, and they seemed to spend more time with each other than apart. They just gravitated toward one another, felt more comfortable being together than being apart.

"Sophia asked me something today," she said cautiously, drawing back to look into Daryl's eyes. Maybe she shouldn't have said it. Maybe she should have kept it to herself. But she'd already brought it up. No turning back.

"What's that?"

"She asked me if I'm happy," she said quietly. She smiled a little as he brushed his fingers through her hair.

"And what'd ya say to that?"

"I told her I've never felt like this before." She smiled. "And it's the truth. I haven't. I never dreamed that meeting some stranger at my daughter's wedding would turn out to be one of the best things that's ever happened to me." She felt her cheeks growing hot. "I thought I was crazy. I thought that maybe I was just losing my mind, afraid of being alone, something like that. But I'm happy. I feel…I feel really good."

"Good," he said with a smile. "Ya know what's comin' up, right?" Carol smiled, giving him a little nod.

"I know. Next week. Our anniversary," she laughed. "One whole month. It feels like longer."

"We should do somethin'."

"I dunno. I'll think of somethin'." Carol eyed him then, and he smirked.

"Don't worry. You trust me?"

"I do," she said with a little nod. She trusted him completely, and maybe that was why it was so frightening to realize she'd completely given herself over to him. She'd let herself fall harder for Daryl than anyone else in the world, and she craved more of him. She craved this happiness like her lungs craved air. She only hoped that Sophia would find the kind of happiness with Carl that she felt with Daryl. And in that moment, she felt as if she'd come up for air.

She let out a little gasp, and Daryl chucked her chin, tilting her face toward his.

"You ok?"

"I'm great," she promised. "Daryl, I…" She swallowed hard, and her lip trembled as she bit back a smile. "I love you." She let out a slow breath as the smile crept over his face. "And I'm not afraid to say it. Nervous? Yeah. But I should have said it before, because I felt it. I feel like I know you better than I know myself, sometimes. I just…I needed you to hear it. I needed you to know that I love you, because I do. And can you just kiss me now, because I'm too nervous to s—" His lips were moving over hers then, and she wrapped her arms around him, feeling the warmth of his body pressing against hers under the surface of the cool water. She sighed against his lips, leaning into him as the kiss turned softer, slower, and a little lazy. And she pulled back finally, running the pad of her thumb over his bottom lip.

"I love you," he breathed, pressing a kiss to her shoulder blade. She smiled, resting her head against his chest again, and he held her close, stroking her back, looking up at the twinkling stars and wondering how he'd been so lucky for fate to grant him the fortune of having this amazing woman come into his life. He wouldn't question it. But he was thankful. And he was ready for whatever came next.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Daryl? _This_ is your shop?" Sophia asked, stepping out of her car as Daryl came walking out wiping his oil-smudged hands on a red rag. He'd been finishing up with an oil change on his own pickup, waiting for the first customer of the day to come in.

"Hey," he said with a nod. "You alright? Your mama alright?"

"Fine. My car, not so much," she grumbled. She squinted into the sunlight, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Come inside the office. It's air conditioned."

"I'm fine," Sophia said with a shrug.

"Go on. Too hot out here. Go on in. Plenty of cold water if you want."

"Thanks, Daryl," Sophia said with a smile.

"You're the first one today. And you get me, 'cause the rest of the boys are off."

"Wednesdays are slow, huh?"

"Not really," he snorted. "But their asses got lucky this week. C'mon in and put yer feet up. What's wrong with the car?" He led the way, and Sophia followed.

"Uh, Carl's pretty sure it's the brakes. Rotors maybe. It makes an awful grinding noise."

"Alright. I'll take a look. If that's what it is, I've got the parts. I can give you a pretty good discount."

"You don't have to do that just because you're dating my mother."

"It's not a problem. Wouldn't be the first guy 'round here to cut family a break on prices." He stopped then, realizing what he'd said. "I mean…"

"It's ok," Sophia said with a warm smile. "I'm glad you think of my mother as family. I'm glad you care about her so much." She saw the blush creeping up Daryl's neck. "I don't have to give you the 'what are your intentions with my mother' speech, do I?" Daryl glanced at her. "My mother's a strong woman. She is. She raised me all by herself, and she sacrificed a lot to give me a pretty great childhood." She smiled sadly then. "She dated, but not that much, and she was always there for me. Now that I'm gone? I'm glad she's got somebody else she can talk to, someone to spend time with. My mother's a happy person. She's been a pretty happy person for as long as I can remember. But now? I don't know, there' something different, and it's a good different." Daryl smiled then, and he cleared his throat.

"I'm tryin' to come up with somethin' for next weekend."

"What's next weekend?"

"Sort've an anniversary. It'll be a month since we met at your weddin'."

"Oh," Sophia said, raising her eyebrows, smiling. "Ok. Well, you probably know by now that my mom doesn't really need big, expensive gestures. In fact, she probably scolded you more than a couple of times during vacation, especially when you went all out and got that beach house, am I right?"

"You ain't too far from the truth," Daryl said with a little grin.

"Is there a place you can take her? Someplace not too far away, but somewhere that she can feel like she's got a little quiet?" Daryl thought for a moment.

"Sure there is. Ain't too far away at all."

"That would be my suggestion, then," she said with a smile.

"Thanks," Daryl said with a nod.

"No problem. I have a feeling we're going to be having this conversation for many more anniversaries." She saw him blush again, and she grinned. "Ok, I'll stop. I'll stop."

"And I'll go work on your car," he said with a smirk. "Shouldn't take too awful long. Make yourself at home."

...

"Ok, I'm a little nervous. What do we have to talk about that we couldn't talk about on the phone?" Carol asked, taking a seat across from Dale Horvath's desk. Dale pulled a thick folder out from a drawer in his desk, and he put it down, pushing it across to Carol. "What's this?"

"Open it," Dale offered. Carol eyed him briefly before turning her attention to the red folder. She opened it up, finding page after page of letters, some hand-written, some typed. "These are the letters I've gotten over the past six months from readers encouraging me to give you a larger feature." Carol raised her eyebrows. "There are three hundred letters in that folder. And those are just the best ones. I've got plenty more. Carol, you're a favorite in the _Life_ section, and I asked you down here today to offer you an option piece."

"Opinion piece? Dale, that's a pretty big jump from an advice column."

"Don't think of it as a jump. Look, you answer questions for people, give them advice. What is that if it isn't an opinion?"

"Dale, are you…are you sure about this?" Carol asked softly, bringing her hand to her mouth. "Do you really think I'm ready for something like that?"

"I think you've been ready for it for a while, but you've never pushed me, never asked me to give you more. But your readers are pushing me. They're asking me. They believe in you, and so do I. And it's a pay raise. It's win-win. You give the readers what they want, you get compensated for your work."

"Dale, I'm going to be a grandmother."

"Well, congratulations," Dale said with a nod.

"And I've met someone. I'm just afraid my focus is split right now. I'm afraid I won't be able to give as much to my writing."

"Let's try it out. A trial period."

"What do I write about?"

"What you know best. You can tell when you're writing about something you know; when you're in your element. Give it a shot. You get me a submission by Friday night, we'll run it Sunday, and then we'll wait."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Your confidence is just overwhelming," Dale deadpanned. Carol rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Dale, thank you. It means a lot to me that you have that kind of faith in me. I'll do my best, and I'll try not to let you down."

...

Daryl glanced up from his half-eaten sandwich when the bell above the door announced the arrival of a new customer. It had been a slow day, and he'd thought good and hard about just putting up the closed sign and taking the rest of the day off, but when he saw who was coming through his door, he was glad he hadn't.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Carol walked across the room and stood on the other side of the counter. "What's for lunch?"

"Burger from that diner down the street," he said with a shrug. "Want some fries? They're the best in town." Carol smiled, taking a fry and popping it between her lips.

"Oh God, that's amazing."

"Careful. Havin' flashbacks of last night," he smirked. Carol rolled her eyes and leaned across the counter, greeting him with a kiss.

"You busy today?"

"You see all these customers just linin' up?" he asked. "Nah, just one customer today. It was Sophia, actually."

"Sophia?" Carol asked.

"Yeah. Needed new brakes and rotors. Don't worry, gave her a good deal." Carol smiled then.

"I'm sorry if she asked you any embarrassing questions."

"Nah. It was fine," he replied with a shrug. "Actually, she helped me out a little bit."

"Oh, _now_ I'm curious."

"Just gonna have to be curious," he replied with a smile. "Next Friday night?"

"Hmm?"

"Anniversary," he replied.

"I know. What about it?" She absentmindedly traced her fingers over his knuckles before snatching another French fry.

"You're just gonna have to wait and see."

"So I'm going to have to pry it out of my daughter?"

"She don't know what I got planned. Well, sort of. I didn't give her details."

"Thank you," Carol laughed. "I'm sure she appreciates that." Daryl smirked and leaned in to kiss her again.

"You taste like French fries," he teased.

"Here," she giggled, dipping one in ketchup and feeding it to him. He captured her finger between his lips and sucked, releasing it with a loud pop. "Don't start. You're playing with fire, Mr. Dixon." She grinned at him. "And I have some important news."

"News?"

"Mmm. I just came from my boss' office. He's giving me the opinion piece. It's more space, more money, more work, but I can still work from home."

"Yeah? That's great. When do ya start doin' that?"

"We're doing a trial run. I have to have my first piece submitted Friday. So I have to run so I can get home and get started on it. If all goes well, I'll have a lot of work on my plate. But I wouldn't miss out on next Friday for anything. I'll be there."

"You better be," he murmured suggestively. "We'll celebrate your new job."

"I thought we were celebrating our anniversary?"

"We can celebrate twice."

"Twice?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Just twice?" The teasing lilt to her voice already had him semi-hard in his jeans.

"Get outta here, woman, 'fore we do things that'll get me fired."

"Oh, but there's no customers. No cameras. Your pickup's out there in the garage," she offered with a giggle. "Wanna go?"

"Fuck, you're a tease," he growled. She laughed then, brushing her hand over his shoulder.

"You coming over tonight?"

"You kiddin'? I'll run every red light to get there, the way you got me goin' right now."

"Don't do that," she laughed. "I'll see you tonight. Could you bring some wine? I'm fresh out, and I'm going to need it."

"Got it. Wine, rubbers." At her look, he smirked. "We used the last one last night, remember?"

"How could I forget _that_? I already picked some up at the pharmacy. So, you just worry about the wine. The rest is under control." She kissed him once again, grabbed another fry and popped it into her mouth, giving him a grin before she headed out of the shop and started for home. Daryl groaned slightly, adjusting himself in his pants. For Daryl, five o'clock could not get there fast enough.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"What do you know?"

"Nothing."

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not!"

"I'm your mother. You've never been able to lie to me."

"Oh, you'd be surprised."

"Sophia Ann Pel…Grimes! Damn it." Sophia laughed.

"Mom, I promise, I really don't know what he's planning. I have an idea, but I'm trying to stay out of it. And it's a good thing, because you're just not going to give up, are you?"

"Oh, fine," Carol sighed, flopping back against the mattress. She'd just gotten out of the shower, wriggled her way into an obscenely expensive black pair of lacy panties and a matching bra, and she'd been in the process of choosing an outfit when Sophia had called her to chat. Well, that had quickly turned into an interrogation session, and Carol knew she'd raised a stubborn, strong daughter who would not give up the info if she really did know anything at all about Daryl's plans. "Are you feeling ok?"

"Today's a good day," Sophia promised. "I didn't think I was going to make it through the whole day, but the kids must have sensed I wasn't feeling very well, because they were pretty well-behaved. I made it. I only threw up twice."

"God, I remember being pregnant with you. I remember the way the smell of cooking bacon had me making a mad dash for the bathroom. I do _not_ miss those days."

"You ever think about having more?"

"Oh, please!" Carol snorted. "You're much too old to be giving me that 'please let me have a baby brother' speech."

"I'm just saying!" Sophia shot back with a laugh. "You're still young. You seem pretty happy with Daryl."

"I am. And one Sophia is all I need. I've had my baby, and now my baby's having a baby, so I get to play grandma. That's the only baby I need in my life now."

"Hmm."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Sophia said innocently. "Just that you never know."

"Oh, don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"Don't say it. Don't even think it."

"What are you talking about, Mama?" Sophia laughed.

"Your wedding reception. You tossed the flowers. I caught them. A month later, and I'm looking forward to my one-month anniversary with the man I love."

"You think I'm going to jinx you?" Carol could hear the rattle of Daryl's pickup engine as he pulled up outside of the house. "Sweetie, I have to go."

"Have fun, Mama. Love you."

"Love you more," Carol replied before beeping in as Daryl phoned her. "Hey."

"Hey yourself. You ready?"

"Mmmhmm. Come on in." A pause.

"Door's locked."

"Look in the mailbox," she pointed out. She heard the metal squeal of the lid opening, followed by it shutting quickly.

"What's this?" The rustle of an envelope. "A key?"

"Happy anniversary," she said softly, biting her lip. "Let yourself in. I'll be ready in a few minutes, ok?"

"Alright." Carol hung up then and quickly moved to the mirror, making certain her hair looked just right. She placed her hands on her hips, turning sideways to look at herself in the mirror, cheeks flushing red at the thought of Daryl seeing her wearing nothing but those panties and that bra later. Her skin tingled at the thought of his fingertips slipping the thin material down her legs.

"Holy hell." Carol gasped softly, spinning to see Daryl standing in the doorway, mouth slightly agape as his gaze roved over her body.

"You weren't supposed to see," she pouted, pulling a black slip of a dress into her hands to shield her body from his sight. "Not yet, anyway."

"Jesus, forget about our plans. Just c'mere," he growled, taking two quick strides to close the distance between them. His hands were on her bare shoulders then, thumbs teasing the skin beside the straps. He bent forward then, pressing a kiss to the hollow of her throat before trailing kisses down her chest and over the rounded tops of her breasts straining under the thin, lacy material.

"Hey," she laughed. "I've been looking forward to this all day."

"So have I," he groaned, hands moving down her back and over her ass as the dress fell away between them.

"Stop," she laughed, pushing at his shoulder. "You've had me wondering what we're doing all week, and now we're going to get down to doing that. Unless _this_ is all you had in mind." She quirked an eyebrow up, and he sighed.

"Ain't all I planned, but it's a damned good idea," he replied with a smirk. His fingers flexed out, gripping her hips, and a wildfire ripped through her body. She groaned softly, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her lips against his. He sighed against her mouth, opening up as she wound herself around him, against him, fingers threading through his hair and pulling him closer. Then she was pulling away, fingers linking through his as she led him to the bed. Before he knew what was happening, her hands were pushing at his chest, and he was falling flat against the mattress. She had that gleam in her eye, that gleam that made his cock rigid as she brushed her hands up his thighs and straddled his hips, crawling over him on the bed.

"You really shouldn't start things you can't finish," she murmured, leaning down to kiss him, plunging her tongue into his mouth, and his hands skirted along her ribs and over her back. Carol moaned softly, grinding her hips against his, legs trembling as she felt his erection straining through his pants. It would have been nothing to just forget the rest of the night, but when her cell phone alarm went off, she pulled back, reaching for the device. Daryl groaned, head slamming back against the mattress as she sprawled over him, chuckling as she turned the alarm off.

"What was that?"

"A reminder that our date's about to start. You were early," she said with a grin, pressing her lips against his in a quick peck. "So, where are we going?"

"How 'bout we stay right here?" he suggested as his hand grazed over her thigh.

"Oh, nice try," she murmured, kissing him once more before wriggling off of him and putting some distance between herself and the bed. Daryl stood, adjusting himself, while he tried like hell not to think about the fact that his dick was dying for some attention.

Carol quickly chose a pretty black dress, low cut to highlight her small but ample cleavage. It clung to her like it was made to fit only her, and Daryl couldn't help but get a bit of a thrill just watching her slip the soft fabric over her body, watching the way it clung to her in just the right places. The skirt went almost to her knees with a sexy but elegant slit up the side. She highlighted her choice with simple teardrop earrings and a pair of black heels.

"So?" she asked, spinning slowly to give him the full view.

"You're gorgeous," he replied, crossing the room to take her hands in his. "Now take 'em off."

"Stop," she laughed, kissing him softly. "Are you ready?" He gave her a nod. "Good. Let's go." She took his hand, leading him out of the bedroom and down the stairs, eagerly anticipating whatever it was he had planned for them tonight. Whatever it was, she honestly didn't care, because all she wanted was to spend the night with him.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Carol bit her lip anxiously as she sat in the pickup truck, waiting for Daryl. They'd had dinner at a quiet little diner, nothing fancy, very quiet, and it had been perfect. Afterward, he'd put a blindfold on her, asking her not to peek until he was ready for her too. They'd driven a good while, talking, holding hands, feeling the cool evening breeze as they drove with the windows down and some music on the radio.

Now she sat alone in the truck, nerves coiling in her belly as she thought about all of the possibilities. They hadn't driven too far, but they'd driven a while, and she was trying to make a map in her head of all of the possible places they might be. She breathed in heavily, smelling pine and moss. The air was thin and clear, and it felt oddly familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint it. The river? No. She couldn't even hear any water splashing against rocks. There were no geese or ducks. She heard crickets. Lots of crickets.

She felt giddy, excited, like she was getting ready for a first date. They'd had plenty of firsts already, and she felt she knew him better than she knew herself, but it was a good feeling. So she waited for what seemed like an hour, and then she heard the door open.

"Sorry," he murmured, taking her hand gently in his. "Just wanted to get everything right. Just in time, too. C'mon or we'll miss it."

"Miss what?" she laughed, stumbling as she got out of the truck. He caught her, and she held tightly to his strong arms.

"C'mon. You'll see." He led her across a gravel path, and then she felt soft grass under her shoes. Then she was stepping up onto a wood platform, and it was then that she realized where they were.

"The cabin," she said softly.

"Yep," he replied quietly, taking the blindfold away from her eyes. She squinted, letting her eyes adjust as she looked over the valley where the land was patched with shadow and orange rays as the sun began its descent into nightfall.

On the deck, Daryl had put out the table and two chairs. Two candles were lit in the middle, and there was a bottle of wine chilling in a bucket of ice. Two glasses were set out for them, and Carol couldn't help but feel a tingle run up her spine when she saw the way he was looking at her, all desire and love and anticipation, and she couldn't help but smile. She moved to the deck railing, leaning over to look down over the view. Daryl stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Wow," she whispered, leaning back against his chest and watching as the sun began to disappear on the horizon.

"Told you sunsets were amazing," he murmured, kissing the back of her neck. She smiled, shrugging up her shoulders at the sensation, running her hands along his forearms. He sucked her earlobe then, and she shivered. A bolt of heat radiated from her core, warming her blood, making her tremble. She closed her eyes, giving herself over to the sensation of his hand moving to graze up her thigh, pulling her skirt up, fingertips brushing over the fabric of her panties. She gasped softly, and he used his other hand to turn her face toward his. She opened her eyes briefly, just in time to see him staring at her, eyes dark with desire, mouth parted as he took in quick puffs of breath. He pushed into her from behind, and she moaned, closing her eyes at the feeling of his hard cock straining against her ass.

His hand moved up her hip then and over the front of her panties, feeling her heat there. She opened her legs by instinct, moving her hands to the rail, bracing herself as his tongue slid down the back of her neck.

"Daryl," she whispered. "Please…" He slipped two fingers inside of her panties, fingers dancing over the damp curls he found there. She squeezed her thighs together then, trapping his hand as he chuckled into her hair.

"Tease," he murmured before she reached behind herself and cupped his erection, giving it a firm squeeze through his pants. "Fuck, Carol." She gave him another squeeze, and he thrust against her hand. He moved his hands up her thighs, tugging her panties halfway down her legs. She bit her lip, rubbing her ass against him before she heard the pull of his zipper. She turned her face toward his again, moaning as he kissed her deeply. He grazed one hand over her neck while he pulled his dick out of his pants with the other. "Spread your legs." She did as he asked, bending over slightly as he pressed at her core. Then he pulled back, and she heard the crinkling of the condom wrapper before it fluttered to the ground. He slid the rubber over his cock before quickly sliding home, feeling those familiar muscles flutter around him as she bucked back against him, taking him all the way. He moved his hand down her chest, briefly squeezing her breast before sliding it down her dress and then up her thigh, fingers teasing her clit as he thrust into her slowly, taking his time, filling her completely before pulling almost all the way out, slowly sinking back into her once again. She leaned forward then, white-knuckling the rail as an orgasm easily washed over her. She whimpered, biting her lip as his tongue and teeth teased her neck and ear.

Within minutes, he brought her over again, triggering his own release, and he pulled out of her, slumping against her back briefly as he discreetly rolled off the condom and disposed of it. Carol laughed as he chuckled against her hair, tracing lazy circles over her thigh as helped her slide her panties back up her thigh.

"Well," she panted, "that was a first." He snorted then before stuffing himself back into his pants.

"Can't get enough of you," he admitted. She turned then, face red, her brow damp with sweat, and she smiled as the darkness of dusk settled around them.

"Same here," she whispered, gently stroking his cheek before she leaned in to kiss him. He smiled when she pulled away, and then she grabbed his hand. "Come on. I could use a drink."

...

Carol squealed as Daryl accidentally spilled some of the chilled wine on her arm. They were lying on the floor of the cabin covered in a big, fleece blanket, and a fire was roaring right in front of them.

"Sorry," he chuckled, sliding his tongue over the spot where he'd spilled, and she shook with laughter.

"No you're not," she smirked, turning to kiss him.

"Wanna take you somewhere," he said softly, kissing her neck, trailing his tongue over the hollow of her throat. "I like bein' alone with you." She grinned then, closing her eyes as his mouth moved over her neck.

"We just got back from going somewhere," she laughed, as his hand found hers under the blanket. He linked their fingers together, and she sighed softly, relaxing as his lips found hers.

"You gave me a key," he said quietly.

"I did."

"You gonna regret that tomorrow?"

"No," she said with a smile, squeezing his hand. "I like having you there. The house is too quiet, and I like it when you're there with me." She brought her other hand up to stroke the back of his head, gently ruffling the hair there.

"I thought about gettin' you a key to my place, but then I changed my mind," he said quietly, smile fading. Carol felt her heart skip a beat, and she let go of his hand.

"Well, that's ok. You don't have to," she said quietly. "I mean, we spend a lot more time at my place, anyway, and…" He quieted her with a kiss.

"I had another idea," he replied. "But I didn't wanna scare you." Carol bit her lip anxiously then, and she sat up a little, leaning on her elbows as Daryl sat up next to her.

"What idea?" she said quietly, not really sure she wanted to hear it or not.

"You trust me?"

"Completely," she admitted, unwaveringly, unflinchingly. He kissed her again.

"I wanna be with you," he said quietly. "Hate wakin' up some mornings and not seein' your face."

"Me too," she said gently, anxiously. "It scares me how much I love you."

"Why?" he asked, stroking the back of her neck, caressing her short tendrils of hair.

"Because the last time I loved someone, it was Ed. But it wasn't…he wasn't you. And I wouldn't ever compare you to him, because you've already taught me more about myself in one short month than I ever knew about myself when I was with him. I've been alone for so long, and I just…it scares me, wanting to give myself to someone so completely." She paused. "What are you getting at?"

"Do you ever wanna get married again?"

"I don't…I never…I mean, the first time was bad enough, and…"

"And I ain't Ed."

"No, you're not," she said with a little smile. "And that's why I love you so damned much."

"First time I saw you, I just…I couldn't even figure out what I wanted to say to you. I never felt like that about nobody. Never been so terrified of makin' a goddamned embarrassment of myself."

"Well, if it helps," she giggled, "you were very charming."

"Just about pissed myself," he admitted. Carol laughed then, threading her fingers through his again.

"I'm not against it," she said finally. "Getting married. I just…I honestly had convinced myself that I wasn't going to meet anyone. I dedicated my life to my kid, you know? I dated, but it was never anything that stuck. Never anything that changed my life the way…the way it changed when we met." She saw the hope in his eyes then, and she bit her bottom lip but was unable to hide the smile that spread across her face when she watched him reach over into his jacket pocket. "You're crazy. You're so fucking crazy. You know that, don't you? Oh my God." She covered her face with her hands, shaking her head as her heart jack hammered across her chest. A nervous laugh escaped, but she couldn't deny the excitement fluttering in her stomach.

He turned then, holding his hand out to her. She opened her palm out to him, and he placed something cold in her hand. He pulled his hand away, and she looked down to see a key.

"Jesus," she laughed. "You asshole!" She shoved him hard on the shoulder then, and he pulled her in his arms, peppering her neck with kisses.

"What'd you think?" he teased.

"I hate you so much right now," she laughed. "You had me going. You really did, you know? I swear, I thought..."

"Thought what?"

"You know exactly what I thought, Daryl Dixon! I thought you were…I thought you had a ring."

"A ring, huh?" he asked, letting go of her. "You mean like this one?" He opened his other hand to reveal a pretty silver band with a diamond setting. "I might be fucking crazy, but you drive me crazy, and I wanna feel like that for the rest of my life. I love you. And I wanna marry you, and I don't care that it's only been a month. I wanna be with you, and I wanna do all those crazy things we've talked about in the middle of the night. Just picking up and driving and going somewhere like we did in Florida. Had the time of my life with you out there, and I wanna have that for us. For the rest of our lives. Whaddya say, Carol? Do you wanna marry me?"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

As the warmth of the morning sun flooded Carol's face, she began to stir, yawning and stretching against the white cotton sheets. She felt the warmth of his face and the stubble from his cheek against her stomach, and she moved blindly moved her hand down to stroke his hair. She was a little sore, a little stiff, but in that beautiful way that reminded her of every moment with him, of every breath tickling her skin, raising the hairs on the back of her neck, of every word he'd whispered against her ear as he'd made love to her.

"Time is it?" Daryl murmured against her stomach, turning his head to kiss her under her belly button. She giggled and stretched again, turning to squint at the alarm clock.

"Just after noon," she said softly, a hint of surprise in her voice. "I guess we were tired."

"Think you broke me," he replied.

"I did not," she laughed, giving his hair a little tug. He crawled up to kiss her good morning before flopping onto his back beside her. "We missed sunrise."

"We got plenty of sunrises to make up for it," he reminded her. "You hungry?"

"Starving," she replied softly, stroking his arm as she rolled over to rest her head against his chest.

"Breakfast first or shower sex?"

"You're awfully confident, Mr. Dixon," she said with a grin, placing a kiss to the center of his chest. He just grinned at her. "Shower then. But I need a toothbrush, and so do you. I'm allowed to tell you that now, right?" Daryl snorted at that.

"You sayin' I got morning breath?"

"I'm saying we _both_ do, and you're a saint for not mentioning it first." She kissed his forehead and started out of bed. He caught her around the middle, but she wriggled away quickly, padding across the thinly-carpeted floor toward the bathroom. Her cell phone rang, and she groaned. "Perfect timing." With a sigh, she tossed him an apologetic look. "You can start without me, but don't you dare finish." Daryl smirked at her then.

"Can't make no promises. Hurry up, woman." He gave her behind a playful slap, and she shot him a glare as he started stripping off in front of her, taking his time, never taking his eyes off of her as she fumbled with her phone. "Stop! It's Sophia." Daryl stopped and ducked into the bathroom, giving Carol a moment to talk to her daughter. "Hi, honey!"

"Mom! Jesus, I've been calling you for two days! Where are you?!"

"Honey, I'm so sorry. The battery died, and I just got around to charging it last night. Is everything ok?"

"Mom, that's not like you at all. Is everything ok? I dropped by yesterday, but the house was locked up like Fort Knox. And the guys at Daryl's shop said he'd taken a few personal days. Is he with you?"

"Honey, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. We got a little swept up with celebrating our anniversary, and…"

"Did he do something huge? Please tell me he didn't get expensive. Wait. No. Please tell me you didn't scold him for getting expensive, because he really does love you, Mom." Carol smiled brightly at that and laughed.

"He took me to dinner and to his hunting cabin," Carol promised. "And I think for your sake and mine, I won't give you the rest of the details."

"Appreciated," Sophia snorted. "I've been driving Carl crazy. I could blame it on pregnancy hormones, but I was worried, because you always call me, and…"

"I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to worry you. Daryl and I are together, we're fine, and my phone will not be neglected anymore, ok?"

"So are you at his cabin?"

"Yeah... We're probably coming back into town tomorrow," Carol promised. "I've got to go, ok? I'll call you later. Love you, sweetie."

"Love you, Mama." Carol hung up and tossed her phone onto the bed, heading into the bathroom. She quickly gargled with minty hotel mouthwash and then slipped into the shower with Daryl. "I just lied to my kid." Daryl turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her.

"What'd you say?"

"I told her we're still in the cabin," she said with a sheepish grin. "I _hate_ lying to my kid."

"You could've told her the truth," he offered.

"How do I explain that we went back to Florida to screw around in the first hotel we made love in?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "Or the rest of it?" DaryI smirked and leaned in for a quick kiss. "I told her we'd be home tomorrow," she replied softly, as he bent down and kissed along her shoulder and collarbone. She leaned her head back into the hot stream and sighed. "I like it here. No responsibilities. Nobody to answer to. It's just us. Tomorrow, we go home and face the music."

"We're grown adults. Ain't nothin' wrong with us goin' off and leavin' without tellin' nobody." He sucked at the hollow of her throat, sliding his hand up the inside of her thigh, fingers seeking out her center, thumb circling over the sensitive nub. She gasped, legs shaking as she leaned against him. She panted against his shoulder, hands trailing up his back, over his shoulders, down his chest. And then she began to stroke his dick, and he thrust against her hand, moaning as she squeezed him in just the right way. And then she stopped, letting go of him, bringing her arms around his neck.

"We can't," she said softly, pouting a little. "Not without…" She gave him an apologetic pout. "I'll have my doctor put me on the pill first thing when we get back." She sighed softly when he nuzzled her cheek with his nose. "I just…I don't think we should risk it."

"Would it be that bad?" he asked, finally, looking back to stare into her eyes. She smiled a little. "I wouldn't mind. I just didn't know if…"

"I was so young when Sophia was born," she said softly. "And I raised her alone. I just don't know if…"

"I'm just sayin'…we can if you want. If you ever wanted to. You wouldn't be alone." He kissed her cheek. "We don't have to have 'em. I want you. You're more'n enough for a lifetime, but if you ever wanted more…I'd wanna give you that."

"I love you so much. You know that?" she asked, sighing softly.

"Love you, too," he replied, kissing her, brushing his hand down her back as the warm water splashed over them both.

"I raised my daughter. And maybe…we should have talked about it more. I just…"

"You don't want more?"

"It's not that. I just…things are so new, and I'm not young like I was when Sophia was born. Maybe I can't even get pregnant. Maybe I'm too old."

"You ain't too old," he replied, moving to suckle at her neck.

"Even then…should we even think about it? Sophia begged me for a little sister all of her life, but I think twenty years difference is a little extreme." Daryl snorted at that, nuzzling her neck, hand groping her breast. She moaned softly as he rolled his thumb over her nipple. "You're playing with fire."

"Sorry," he snorted.

"No you're not," she laughed. And then without warning, she began to kiss his chest, moving down to her knees, pressing open mouthed kisses to his stomach, tongue teasing around the belly button as she curled her hand around his cock again.

"Fuck," he panted, leaning out to push his palms against the shower wall, bracing himself as she took him into her mouth, swirling her tongue along the head before giving it a firm suck. She pulled back then, squeezing him from base to tip, running her thumb over the head, teasing him as she looked up at him, eyes dark with desire as he stared down at her, jaw slack as he fought for composure.

Her hands moved over his hips and then to his ass, giving him a squeeze as she took him in her mouth again. It didn't take much before he tipped her chin with his hand, a warning she chose to ignore before he came, spilling into her mouth, moaning her name as she swallowed him down, licking him from base to tip before releasing him.

"Best way to wake up," he murmured sleepily as Carol wiped at the corners of her mouth. She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck again.

"My turn tomorrow, hmm?"

"Yep," he replied, giving her a kiss on the nose. "Mornin', wife."

"Morning, husband."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

 _Carol was the first out of the doors, and the wind whipped the thin material of her sundress against her legs. Her heart was full, and it thundered in her chest as the Florida sunshine shone on her face. City hall was busy that day, but the wait had been worth it. Out next came Daryl. He wore a simple, gray button-down shirt and a pair of matching pants. He carried a packet of papers, proof that they had really just done what they'd done. They were married._

 _"You ok?" he asked, watching her as she stood still, eyes closed, face tilted toward the sky. She smiled then, nodding and turning to face him._

 _"We just got married," she laughed. "We really are crazy."_

 _"S'alright," he replied with a chuckle, pulling her into his arms, kissing her lovingly as his hand moved over her back. "No regrets?"_

 _"None that I can think of," she laughed. "I can't believe we really did that."_

 _"Can't believe I get to take you back to the hotel and have sex with my wife."_

 _"Ooh, now there's an intriguing idea," she teased, running her fingertips along his jaw line._

 _"Hey, how 'bout you guys wait 'til you're behind closed doors?" came a voice from behind. "I'm all for coming to stand up as a witness for you guys, but I don't need to witness this." Carol and Daryl turned to see their witness, the night manager Tara. "I can't even believe they accepted me as a witness."_

 _"Yeah, it was a little awkward when they asked how you knew us," Carol admitted._

 _"Even more awkward that she told 'em the truth."_

 _"Hey, it was a legal ceremony," Tara defended. "They wanted to know, and I told them. I made sure you two hooked up. You were both desperate for sex, and you were both too nice and awkward to make the first move, so I lied and pushed you two into a one-bed room. I won't apologize, because apparently it was the best idea anybody's ever had. By the way, I got the note, Carol. Thanks."_

 _"What note?" Daryl asked._

 _"Um, it's not important," Carol chuckled. "Tara, thank you, again. You'll be there tonight?"_

 _"Always. I've got my Sudoku and the stone cold realization that I will never get out of this shithole town to keep me company." She sighed and saw questioning looks on both of their faces. "Oh, no! But not you guys. You guys have an awesome honeymoon. I mean, all the sex you can have. And I'll make sure the rooms next to your stay empty. I really hate getting calls in the night about noisy sexcapades." Carol's face flushed red, and Daryl snorted. "I gotta get going. Haven't been to bed yet, and all. You guys have a good honeymoon." She started toward her car but turned back toward Carol. "Oh, and I know you're married now, and all, but if you need anything, you know where the stash is." Carol's eyes widened, and Daryl gave her a questioning look. She just smiled and shook her head._

 _"Uh, thanks, Tara. Thank you." Tara gave them a little wave, hopped in her little silver Honda and headed off home._

 _"What stash?" Daryl asked._

 _"Oh, God. You had to ask," she snorted._

 _"You got me curious, now," he said, raising his eyebrows. "You gonna tell me?"_

 _"You really want to know?" He gave her a nod, and she laughed. "Well,_ somebody _had forgotten the condoms." Daryl ducked his head in admission, and Carol grinned. "And you wanted sex. I wanted sex. And when I set my mind to something, Daryl Dixon, nothing is gonna stand in my way. So there I was, tiptoeing around outside the hotel, and lo and behold, I find a vending machine…."_

 _..._

"Yes. Oh God," she panted, lying spread eagle on the bed with his head between her legs. One hand fisted through his hair, while the other clutched the pillow under her head. She whimpered, biting at her lip as her hips bucked off the mattress. He held one hand on her hip, while the other was put to good use, fingers thrusting inside of her as his tongue and lips worked her clit. "Daryl!"

She arched back as his tongue replaced his fingers, and she cried out when his thumb flicked her clit again, sending her body into overdrive.

"Come for me, Carol," he growled, hand moving up her stomach and over her breast, rolling the nipple there as her body trembled on the edge of an orgasm.

"Oh, fuck," she whimpered.

"You taste so good." And this tongue was inside of her again, and she pulled her knees up, thrusting her pelvis against his face, eyes screwed shut tightly as her chest tightened, and every muscle in her body tensed in anticipation. "C'mon." One more flick of his tongue against her clit was her undoing, and she cried out, gasping as the shockwave hit her, and he kept his mouth on her, lapping up every bit of her as her scent and taste overpowered his senses. And when she relaxed, he pressed a kiss to her stomach and crawled back up to kiss her mouth. She chuckled against his lips, opening up to him, tasting herself on his lips and tongue. "Taste so damned good." She grinned against his mouth as he whispered against her, and then he was rolling off of her and lying next to her on the bed.

"God," she breathed, running her fingers through her hair, scalp damp with sweat, face tingling as every part of her hummed with satisfaction. "How are you so good at that?" He smirked, and she rolled her eyes.

"Practice," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. "Practice on _you_ , but I've…had, uh, years of…practice. Before." She saw the red tint his cheeks, and she couldn't help but grin.

"Well, I figured," she laughed. "And that's ok." She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment.

"What?" he asked, turning onto his side to get a better look at her.

"How many?" she asked.

"How many what?"

"Oh, this is stupid. I shouldn't ask."

"What? How many…what? Women?" Carol's gaze locked on his, and he knew that was exactly what she meant.

"Never mind. You don't have to answer that. Just forget I asked," she said quickly, covering her face with her hands. He reached over then, taking her wrist and prying her hand away from her face. He leaned over, pressing his lips against hers.

"Four," he whispered. "Four's my number. And that's includin' you." Carol eyed him briefly. "What? You want names? I got, uh, Kristy. She was my first. High school. Big love, you know. Nah, her daddy hated my ass, and I think that's why she wanted to date me. We dated for like a year, and we fought for half of it. Then there was Danielle. Danny was off and on for like six years. She…well, she taught me a lot." He cleared his throat and rubbed his eyes, stretching a little. "She was married. Not happily, and he was shitty to her. Still, I ain't proud of that. I was the guy she went to when she thought she was gonna leave her prick of a husband. 'Course, in the end, she decided to leave him and leave me. Moved off to California somewhere, but at that point, I'd had enough of the bullshit, you know?" Carol sighed softly then, rolling onto her side and stroking his hair. "Realized that I didn't really love her, 'cause if I had, I probably would've fought harder every time she left to go back to him. She wasn't ever mine, you know?"

"Did you miss her?"

"Sometimes," he admitted. "But she wasn't…it wasn't good, you know?" Carol nodded. "Wasn't good for either of us." He thought for a moment. "Then there was Kelli. With an I. That kind of girl." Carol giggled at that. "I mean, she was sweet, and I liked her a lot, but it wasn't enough, you know? Started off as a one night stand, and then it was just comfortable. Four years of comfortable. She'd come to me, or I'd go to her, and we'd go out, but it wasn't really…I mean, she wanted more. She ended up breakin' up with me, 'cause when she asked me if I wanted more, I told her I didn't know. I was…it was shitty. I know that. But I didn't wanna lie to her." Carol nodded, sighing as she felt his calloused hand slide up her arm. "Christ, I'm glad I found you. The second I saw you, I knew that I was gonna marry you. I never had that feeling before. I just…I knew it. Knew that I wanted to know you, wanted you to know me. I'm glad I took a chance that night. Glad I came to talk to you."

"Me too," Carol said with a sleepy smile. She kissed him softly before pulling back and propping her head in her hand. "You know about Ed." Daryl nodded. "I didn't date until long after Sophia started school." She saw him raise an eyebrow, and she smirked. "I had a _really_ good vibrator." At the intrigued look on Daryl's face, Carol winked at him and continued. "When Sophia was about nine, I was at a bookstore where I met John. He came over, said hello. He was handsome. Tall. He wanted to take me to coffee. See, we were both looking at the same book. Of course, I figured out later on that this was his thing. He saw a woman he was interested in, picked up a book she was looking at and pretended to be interested in her. Yeah, I was a little naïve, and I fell for it, and we had about three months together. The sad thing was that when I finally got up the nerve to introduce Sophia to him, she _loved_ him. She was so excited, and she even asked me if I was going to marry him. And they got along great. He was good to her. And then I called him to invite him over one night, and Sarah answers the phone."

"Sarah?"

"My neighbor," she snorted. "I guess he met her one day when he was waiting for me to get home. He didn't have to look too far for his next piece of ass. So, I looked out my front window, and sure enough, he was parked about two blocks down. Discreet, huh?" Daryl snorted, and Carol rolled her eyes.

"That sucks."

"Not really," Carol said quietly. "I was surprised at how little it hurt, you know? I thought that maybe I was falling for him, but when she answered his phone and the realization hit me, it didn't hurt. I was worried about Sophia, because I knew how crazy she was about him. But I was more upset for Sophia than I was for myself." She shrugged. "Then there was Michael. Oh, Michael was definitely one I thought I was going to marry. I guess he was my rebound guy after John. Michael was funny. He was…he was fun. I guess I needed that after everything, and I kind of let myself fall for him. He was good with Sophia, and she liked him, but she was a little wary, you know, because of John. But things were good." She scoffed. "Then one day he wakes up and realizes that he doesn't want to be tied down to a woman with a kid."

"Good riddance," Daryl muttered. "Sounds like an asshole."

"Yeah. When you strip away the funny and the fun, he was an asshole. Oh, and then there was David. Oh, David was…well, he was a breath of fresh air after Michael. I dated him when Soph was in high school. I think…yeah, she was already driving. He was probably the most serious relationship after Ed, which, well, that says a lot. Or maybe it doesn't." She smirked. "David actually…well, I think I did love him. In a way, I did love him. But he had his work, and I had mine and Soph, and things just weren't easy. And he wanted me to take time away from Sophia to just be with him. In retrospect, I could have don't that. Sophia was independent, spending a lot time with Carl and his family. But I felt like I owed it to my kid to stay home, you know? Just in case she needed me? He was a good guy, but he wanted things that I wasn't ready to give him, you know?"

"Things?"

"He wanted a baby. I didn't. Not then. He wanted to get married. I didn't. Not then. I wasn't ready. I just wasn't in the same place he was, you know?" Daryl nodded a little, chewing his lip. "I broke up with him, told him he needed to find somebody willing to give him the things I wasn't willing to give him."

"Whatever happened to him?"

"The last I heard, he got married and has a couple of kids. He's happy. His wife used to work at the bank down town, and she's really nice." Carol smiled a little. "And my last one was Todd."

"Todd?" Daryl choked out, holding back a laugh.

"Yes, Todd," she cringed. "And that was two weeks of complete and total insanity. I almost got a tattoo on my ass for him."

"You kiddin' me?"

"No. But I was drunk, and thank God, I sobered up before the needle actually touched my skin." She shook her head. "Todd was there and then he was gone, and I think I was all the better for it." She laughed. "And I had a much _better_ vibrator by that point." Daryl smirked at that.

"Then?"

"Then…I threw myself back into my work, I forgot about the Todds, and Eds and Michaels and Johns out there. I got my kid through high school, through college. There were a few first and only dates, a few second dates that never went anywhere past a goodnight kiss, and then I met you." She smiled, kissing his forehead. "And every morning I wake up grateful that you came to talk to me. Meeting you was the last thing I expected." She smiled, and she kissed him softly.

"And tomorrow we're goin' back home. You ready for that?"

"I'm ready," she said with a smile. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, but I'm excited." She sighed softly, resting her head against his chest. "I never thought this could be me. That I could just drop everything on a whim and do what I felt, you know? Ten years ago, I'd have thought a woman doing the things I've done was crazy, but now? Now I feel alive. I feel like everything is falling into place."

"Me too," he admitted. "M'glad I found you. Was like wakin' up for the first time, seein' your face." Carol smiled then, and her eyes glittered with tears.

"Come here," she murmured, rolling onto her back, leading him over, on top of her, sighing with contentment as he cradled her face in his hands and kissed her softly, sweetly, taking all thoughts of tomorrow behind. They lived in the moment, and that was all that mattered.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"We get home, we need to think about a few things," Daryl said out of nowhere, about two hours into their trip home. Carol opened her eyes from the little catnap she'd been taking, and she looked at him.

"What things?"

"We gotta think about where we're stayin', first of all. Now, my place ain't big enough for the two of us to be comfortable. Your place is. We could stay there, or we could find a new place." Carol sighed softly and leaned her head back against the headrest.

"My place is paid for," she offered. "Plenty of room. It would be a money saver. Would you be comfortable staying there?"

"Hell, pretty much stayed there half the time this past month," he pointed out. "I wouldn't mind. 'Course if you want a new place…"

"No need," she shrugged. "I'm happy there. Even happier with you there." Daryl smiled at that. "So we just…move in together."

"That's usually how it works," Daryl offered.

"I've thought about it," she laughed. "I've thought about a lot of things. I'm excited. Ready. Oh, and the garage. I wanted to tell you…you can have the garage, if you want. It can be your space, you know?" Daryl gave Carol's hand a squeeze.

"You think Sophia will be ok with all this?"

"Sophia really likes you. And she knows I'm crazy about you. And she also knows you're crazy about me. I think she'll be fine with it."

"I mean, not tellin' her about it. Not…you know, includin' her."

"She'll understand," Carol said quietly. "I think she will. She knows I'd never do anything to hurt her. She does. And part of me does wish she'd been there. Maybe we can do something small, just family. A reception or something. She knows I'm not big into the celebrations. I know she is, but I've never liked to be the center of attention." She smiled a little; Daryl traced his thumb over her knuckles.

"Wait 'til we get to the hotel tonight. You're definitely gonna be the center of attention."

"Is that all you ever think about?" she teased.

"Most days when my eyes are open," he said with a smirk. She laughed, leaning across the cab to kiss his cheek.

"You're crazy, and I love you."

"Love you, too." He pulled his arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled up beside him, closing her eyes and looking forward to getting home and getting on with the rest of their lives.

"Mama?"

"Hi, honey," Carol said brightly as she sat on the edge of the hotel bed, running a towel over her wet hair.

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Hmm, nope. I just got out of the shower, actually. You ok?"

"Oh, fine. Just fine, Mama. Um, there was something I wanted to talk to you about, but I really…I don't think I want to do it over the phone."

"Oh," Carol murmured, pausing and letting the towel fall into her lap. "Sophia, honey, is everything ok? The baby? Carl?"

"Oh, we're fine, Mama. I promise. It's just…well, it's something I'd rather talk to you about in person."

"Honey, the last time you told me you had something to tell me, I found out I was gonna be a grandma."

"Relax, Mom," Sophia laughed. "It's not bad. I promise."

"Well, there's something I want to talk to you about, too, so maybe we can get it all out of the way tomorrow night, huh?"

"Ok. Um, that works. I…I just don't want you to worry."

"Honey, when you tell me not to worry, I worry. It's a mom thing, and you'll understand one day when your daughter—or son—calls you and says 'don't worry.' It just comes with the territory."

"Well, I promise I'm fine. But are you? You wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yeah. It's…it can wait. It's good. Things are good."

"What, did you guys run off and elope or something?" Sophia teased with a laugh. Carol said nothing. "Mama? Mama! Oh my God! You did, didn't you?"

"Ooh, boy, my battery needs charged, and…"

"Whoa, you can't just…oh my God! Mama, did you really get married?"

"Sophia," Carol started carefully, "I…it just sort of happened."

"Oh my God! You did? You did it, didn't you? Carl!" Carol could hear a bit of commotion on the other line, followed by "they got _married!_ " Carol flinched, and she looked toward the bathroom door where she could still hear the shower running.

"Sophia…"

"Mama, what's the matter with you?"

"Sophia Grimes, don't take that tone with me," Carol warned. A pause. "Honey, we'll talk when I get home."

"Are you ok?"

"What? I'm fine. Of course I'm fine. What do you think, he clubbed me over the head and dragged me to the altar? Honey, this past month with Daryl has been one of the most exciting, wonderful months of my life. It's beautiful and terrifying, and the only thing I could think when he asked me was: yes. I love him, and this isn't some… _thing_ I'm going to regret a week down the road."

"I just don't understand," Sophia murmured. "This isn't like you at all."

"Maybe it is," Carol offered. "Maybe this really is me. Honey, I don't expect you to understand everything, but all I can say is that it feels like I've been asleep for such a long time, and Daryl? Daryl woke me up, opened a door to every possibility. I feel like everything makes sense and is spinning out of control at the same time."

"God," Sophia whispered.

"What?"

"That's how I feel about Carl," she said softly. And then she sniffled, and her voice broke. "Are you sure about this?"

"How many times did I ask you that before you got married?"

"About twelve."

"And what did you tell me every single time?"

"That if it's a mistake, it's mine to make, but I love him, and this is my choice," Sophia said quietly.

"And it wasn't a mistake, was it?"

"No, but…Mama, you've known him for a _month_." Carol swallowed a lump in her throat, and she took a deep breath.

"Soph, I really don't know how to explain this to you. I don't. You grew up with just me, and that was fine. But now? Now I've found somebody that makes me feel things that…that I really don't want to discuss with you, and I'm sure you're grateful for that." She heard Sophia laugh then, and she felt a little better. "Honey, I thought Ed was it. That he was everything. And then you came along, and you were more important than anything else in this world. So I raised you, and I loved you, and I did my best with you. But you're grown now, and you have a new life, a new husband, a baby on the way? And your old mom…"

"You're not old," Sophia scolded.

"Well, you know what I mean. One month. One year. One decade? It doesn't really matter, and I don't want to waste anymore time being alone. And no, this isn't some desperate 'I'm going to die alone' reach for the closest warm body. I love him. I love him more than I've ever loved any man, and he makes me happy. And I married him, and I don't regret it. Not for a second. And I really hope that you can be happy for me. Maybe it was selfish, but…" Her voice broke then, and Sophia sniffled.

"Mama, stop. Stop." Sophia took a deep breath and continued. "If he makes you happy, then I'm happy. I've seen the way your face lights up when you talk about him. I've seen how much he adores you. And I believe you. I believe maybe you were lucky, and if my wedding was what brought him to you, then that makes me even happier. I'm just a little caught off guard. But I want you to be happy, Mama, because you've always supported me in everything I do."

"Thank you, honey," Carol sniffled. "I know it's a lot to take in. I know that. But you're my kid, and I'm gonna need my kid to talk to like old times, ok? You're still my rock, Soph. You know that?"

"I know, Mama. And you're mine."

"Now, what do you want to tell me?"

"It's nothing that can't wait until you're back."

"See, I gave you 'ran off to get married.' You can't even give me a little hint?"

"Nope! That's what you get for sneaking off to get married." Carol sighed heavily and chuckled.

"Fine. Be that way," she huffed teasingly.

"Mama?"

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations."

"That's honey. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Ok," Sophia said softly. "Good night." Carol ended the call and flopped back on the bed just as the bathroom door squeaked open. Carol began to roll to her side.

"Well, that was…Jesus!" He was stark naked and half-hard as he approached the bed, and she rolled onto her stomach, laughing against the mattress.

"What's so funny?"

"Here I was about to have an important conversation with you, and you come out like _that_."

"Sorry," he offered with a shrug and a smirk. She rolled her eyes and tugged on his arm, pulling him over her on the bed. "Everything ok?"

"Everything's fine. Everything's going to be great," she promised, arching up to capture his lips in a hungry kiss.

"You sure? 'Cause we can have that important conversation now if ya want."

"Shut up," she laughed, getting a snort out of him, before he began undressing her, making good on his promise that she would be the center of his undivided attention tonight.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Carol and Daryl had all but gotten in the front door and collapsed on the couch when the doorbell rang. Carol laughed, struggling to pull her weary body up. Daryl gave her a little shove on the ass, and she laughed, swatting at him. He stood with her, and they walked to the door. To Carol's surprise, Carl and Sophia were standing on the porch with a picnic basket full of something that smelled delicious.

"Hi, honey!" Carol greeted her daughter, pulling her into a big hug as Carl and Daryl exchanged an awkward hand shake.

"I got your text that you were an hour outside of Atlanta, and I figured, instead of us all going out to dinner, you might feel better having dinner at home."

"That's so sweet. Thank you so much."

"Fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn on the cob," Carl pointed out, placing his hand on Sophia's lower back.

"I taught her," Carol said proudly, leaning back slightly against Daryl's chest.

"It's nowhere near as good as yours, but I tried," Sophia laughed. Carol and Daryl stepped out of the way, letting the two in.

"I'll help you set the table," Carol offered.

"Nope. We're treating you, right, Carl?"

"Right," he replied with a grin, following his wife to the dining room. Carol and Daryl exchanged a glance, and Daryl smirked.

"What?" she chuckled, elbowing him a little.

"Reminds me of when I was a boy, and I done somethin' wrong, I always did all kinds of chores 'round the house, hopin' maybe my mom wouldn't be too mad when she found out."

"Well, they're not kids," Carol said with a grin. "Sophia sounded excited but anxious, so I'm just going to let her tell me when she's ready." Daryl turned and pulled his wife into his arms. She smiled when he bent down to kiss her. She grinned up at him when he pulled back.

"What?" he asked, voice low.

"Oh, nothing," she said coyly, moving her hands up his chest and over his shoulders, straightening the collar of his shirt. "I was just thinking about how much I'm going to enjoy taking these clothes off of you in our own bedroom tonight." She watched his jaw go slack for a moment, and she winked at him, just as Sophia came walking into the living room.

"It's all set," she called, hands wrung anxiously together as she faced her mother and step-father. Carol and Daryl followed her into the dining room, and everybody sat down around the table and dug into their meal.

"You cooked and brought everything over. The least I can do is clean up the dishes," Carol offered.

"Nope, I'll take care of it," Sophia said with a wave of her hand. "For once, I actually feel good. I don't mind at all, Mama. Really."

"Alright," Carol said with an expectant smile. "So?"

"So?"

"What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked, stacking her and Daryl's plates in the middle of the table with Carl and Sophia's. She caught the glance between Carl and Sophia, and Sophia's smile faded a little.

"Well, I…you know, it's really not a big deal."

"Go on," Carl urged. Sophia sighed and took a sip of her water.

"Before I found out I was pregnant, I told the school board I was interested in starting up an after school program for my kindergarteners. Some of them are having a little trouble picking things up as fast as the others, so I thought of having a little after school reading club. I know a lot of the parents are so busy that they can't work with their children the way they want to or should be doing, and I thought it would be a great way for the kids to work together to learn. Some of them are really struggling, Mama."

"That sounds like a great idea," Carol said with a nod.

"Well, they said they would consider it, and then I didn't hear anything until just a few days ago. Well, they loved the idea, and they really want me to head up the program. There are a couple of other teachers that are on board to help out, and we've already got twelve kids signed up from my class and eight from the other. And I would get paid for my time…which is really great. It'll be every Monday and Wednesday afternoon. And we're going to try to make this a permanent thing."

"Honey, that's wonderful. I'm so proud of you," Carol offered. Sophia smiled nervously, glancing at Carl, who gave her a nod of encouragement.

"Well, we weren't exactly figuring on this baby, you know? I mean, of course I'm going to do this project. It was my idea, and I'm really excited about it, but I wasn't figuring we'd be getting pregnant so soon, you know?" Carol nodded. "And I was going to ask you…but then you said you got married, and I wasn't sure you would want to, and…"

"Ask me what?" Carol asked.

"Well, I was going…I was going to ask you if you wouldn't mind watching the baby for me. See, Carl's going to be working nights for a long while, so he'll have the baby while I'm at school, but he'll need somebody to cover him while he's at work, before I get out of the reading program."

"Well, honey, of course I'd love to watch the baby," Carol said with a bright smile. She glanced at Daryl. "We'd love to, wouldn't we?"

"'Course," Daryl offered. "I don't know much about babies, but your mom did a damned good job rasin' you, so I guess she's the expert here."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," Carol snorted. "But thanks for the vote of confidence." She grinned at her husband and then looked back at Sophia. "Sweetie, I'll be there to help out as much as I can. I can do my writing for work on Saturday and Thursday if I have to. It's no problem at all. Dale's a pretty lenient boss."

"Mama, thank you so much," Sophia murmured, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Ms. Pele…Mrs…Dixon, right?"

"Right," Carol laughed. "It'll take some getting used to."

"Alright," Sophia said, standing up and grabbing the plates. "Carl and I are going to clean up. When we're done, I want to hear all about this whirlwind wedding, and feel free to gloss over any part that might trigger my gag reflex."

"Oh, get out," Carol choked out, tossing a towel at her daughter. Sophia made a face at her mother but quickly smiled again. Carol couldn't help but notice how happy Sophia seemed to be, and as a mom, that made her heart swell with happiness. Seeing this beautiful young woman she'd brought into this world becoming a mother herself was fascinating, heartbreaking and truly beautiful to watch.

Things were changing so quickly. She was no longer just Sophia's mother. She was Daryl's wife, and as much of an adjustment it was going to be to sign her name as Carol Dixon instead of Peletier, it was going to be just as much of an adjustment for someone to call her Grandma. She couldn't wait. The best, she was certain, was yet to come.

"Where do you want this?" Daryl asked, lugging in one of his lamps.

"Anywhere," Carol said with a wave, placing his motorcycle helmet on the dining room table.

"What about those boxes?" He nodded toward the door.

"Anywhere," Carol replied, getting an exasperated look out of him. "Daryl, this is your house, too, you know? It's not just mine, anymore. I want you here. I want your things here. I want to feel like this is our place, not just my place that you stay at." She saw the confusion leave Daryl's face, and he actually smiled.

"Oh," he said with a nod, ducking his head.

"Oh," she teased, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his nose.

"So," he said, putting the lamp down and pulling her into his arms, "we're gonna have a baby around the place, after all, huh?"

"Seems that way," Carol said with a grin. "Is that ok with you?"

"It's your grandkid. 'Course it's ok." He kissed her before dipping down to presses kisses to the side of her neck. She bit her lip, giggling as his stubble scratched her skin. He began to suck a little harder then, putting pressure, and she knew exactly what he was doing. She moved her fingers through his hair.

"Thank you," she sighed.

"For the hickey?" he teased.

"No," she laughed. "For coming into my life. I'm glad you're here. I'm glad this house isn't going to feel so empty. I'm glad I have you. I don't have to turn into the crazy cat lady that Sophia feels sorry for and invites to move in with her and Carl and the kids, because, hey, isn't that the right thing to do, and…"

"Baby, you ain't got any cats," Daryl reminded her. "But we can get one. Or a dog. Or a baby of our own."

"Oh, and we're back to that again, are we?" she laughed, as he moved to his knees, wrapping his arms around her waist, burying his face against her stomach, inhaling deeply. She ruffled his hair, running her fingers through it as he moved her shirt up, pressing wet kisses to her bare skin.

"Whatever you want. I wanna give it to you," he offered, looking up at her, those beautiful blue eyes filled with so much love that she thought her heart might burst. She sighed softly, kneeling down to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Whatever I want?" she asked, quirking her eyebrow up.

"Mmmhmm," he said, a teasing grin pulling at his mouth.

"Well, right now, I want you to take your pants off."

"No rubbers," he pointed out. "And you got that appointment with the doc for the pill tomorrow."

"Oh, _that_ ," she remembered. "Well…I could cancel." She looked up at him, and he tilted his head to the side, running his hand up and down her back.

"Yeah?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"No. Yes. I don't know," she laughed. "I love you. And I want a life with you. I want…you know what? I do. We might be crazy, but you know, I think…I think we could do this. If we wanted. I want everything with you."

"Sounds like a damn romance novel," he teased. She chucked his chin and kissed him softly, slowly. When she pulled back, he caressed the back of her head. "Didn't say there was somethin' wrong with that, did I?" Carol laughed then, and she kissed him once again.

"So you wanna do this? Maybe have a kid?"

"I do," she said with a nod that boasted both confidence and terror, and he chuckled. "I do. It's…it's a scary thing, Daryl. I haven't had a baby in over twenty years, so just…just soak that in for half a second."

"You sure you want this? You wanna do this? I don't want ya to think you gotta on account of me. I want ya to be happy, and if you don't want to, then, that's ok."

"Daryl, shut up," she laughed, pressing her hand against his cheek. "I do. I want this. I'm forty. I'm not as young as I was before. So there's a chance…"

"If it happens, it happens. If it don't, it don't. But half the fun's gonna be tryin', right?"

"Right," she laughed.

"We're a little crazy," he snorted. "This is great." He kissed her then, and she laughed as his hands began to roam freely. Then he paused. "Wait. This means we don't gotta hold out for condoms?"

"That's what it means," she said, raising her eyebrows right before he tackled her to the floor.

She squealed as he crawled over her, and with feather light kisses against her collarbone, he murmured, "even better."

...

 _Eighteen months later_

Carol yawned as she sat in the rocking chair in the living room. She hadn't felt this exhausted in a long time. Connor Grimes was a handful. He had taken his first steps last week, and now he was becoming an old pro.

"Grandma's very tired, kiddo," Carol said with a yawn, as Connor pulled himself up to stand at the coffee table and grinned up at her. He smacked his hand against the wooden surface, and Carol chuckled. He looked so much like Sophia when she was born, but she could definitely see that he was going to have dark hair like his daddy. If that dark hair ever grew in. For as much hair as both of his parents had, little Connor was still about as bald as the day he was born.

Connor took a few steps toward her, and he fell back on his bottom.

"Oop!" Carol giggled, getting down on the floor with him and holding her hands out to him. "Come on, sweetheart." He grinned at her, two teeth poking up from his bottom gums. And he stood again, little diapered butt moving back and forth as he defied gravity and toddled toward Carol. She laughed then, pulling him into her lap, straining slightly and standing with him. "What's your mama been feeding, you, huh?"

The phone rang, and Carol quickly answered, knowing exactly who it would be.

"Hey, sweetie."

"Hey, Mama. I know I'm late. I'm sorry. A few of the parents got stopped by a train, so we're a little behind."

"That's ok, honey."

"Did Connor eat yet?"

"He did. A whole bottle and a jar of carrots," Carol pointed out.

"That's my boy," Sophia cheered. "Alright. I'll be there in about fifteen."

"Alright," Carol said. "No hurry. Take your time." Connor yawned and put his head down on Carol's shoulder. "Somebody's about to go to s-l-e-e-p, anyway."

"Oh, great. Maybe he'll sleep in the car. Be there in a few."

"Bye, honey." Carol ended the call and put Connor down in the playpen. He fussed momentarily before accepting his fate and lying down with his favorite grandma's house teddy bear. She yawned and tried to decide if she wanted to start dinner or just order takeout. Deciding on the latter, she made her way into the bathroom, where Daryl was hunched over the tub, shirt sleeves rolled up as the water sloshed every which way. "Chinese or pizza?"

"Huh?" he asked, turning to reveal soap all over his chin and mouth. Carol put her hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh. "What?"

"It's a nice look, dear," she teased.

"Oh," he snorted, wiping at the suds. "I was a soap monster. She thinks it's funny." He shrugged. Carol moved to stand over Daryl, peering down at the little one kicking her legs furiously in the baby tub. Daryl had a hand protectively under her neck as he washed her pudgy tummy with a pink cloth. The three-month-old kicked her legs faster and waved her arms at the sight of her mother. She squealed, and Carol giggled.

"Daddy's crazy, isn't he, Sammy?"

"Samantha Rose Dixon, don't you dare answer that question," Daryl replied sternly before dipping down to blow raspberries on the baby's tummy. She giggled, and Carol felt her heart swell with joy. "I think we're done here." He lifted the baby out of the water, and Carol readied a towel to wrap her in. "Go on to yer mama. Take her side. I see how it is." Carol gave him a grin as she tucked the baby close against her chest.

"Yeah," Carol cooed. "Daddy is a little crazy." Daryl leaned forward, running his fingers over the baby's soft, brown hair.

"I'll let ya in on a little secret, Sammy," he whispered. "Daddy is a little crazy. Just crazy about you. And about yer mama." He kissed the top of her head, and she grunted, and Carol sighed softly, still in disbelief that she could ever be this damned happy.

"I love you," she murmured, as Daryl leaned forward to kiss her. Together, they took their daughter to the nursery to get her ready for bed. Carol watched the way Daryl tenderly cradled her and took extreme caution when dressing her, making sure her face wasn't covered but a second when putting the little sleeper over her head. He had a gentle touch with her, and she'd seen it in the way he was with Connor after he'd been born. She knew he was going to be a great dad, but he'd exceeded even those ideas. He was fantastic.

She sat back in the nursery rocker and watched Daryl get their daughter in her pajamas, and she smiled, thinking back to when Sophia was little and how Ed was rarely ever there. She felt sorry for him, in a way, because he'd missed out on what should have been the best years of his life. But it was Ed's loss. Daryl was so hands on, so willing to jump right in and take a midnight feeding. He was just overjoyed and enamored with this little life they'd created.

She placed her hand against her chests, feeling her heart race with panic as she thought about what could have been. What if she hadn't gone to the bar at Sophia's wedding? What if her car hadn't broken down? What if she hadn't taken a chance and gone on a date with him? What if she hadn't opened her heart to the possibility of living life in the now and enjoying it for what it was and not what I might be or what it could have been? In retrospect, she was content with every decision she'd made, even the bad ones in her early life with Ed. It had all led her to where she was now, sitting in this room watching her husband play with their daughter, hearing the baby's giggles echo straight through her heart, warming her soul.

Maybe they were crazy, expanding their family from scratch. Maybe they were. But if this was what crazy felt like, it was the best feeling in the world, and for the first time in her life, Carol was absolutely certain that her house would never feel empty again.

THE END


End file.
